Bound By Light
by TruthOutrunsTheFiction
Summary: Destiny steps into the lives of siblings Rachel & Bryan the day they discovered they are chosen as Keyblade Wielders. Under the training of Sorcerer Yen Sid & the wizard Merlin, the siblings venture into the worlds to restore the balance of darkness & light. Are their hearts & teamwork strong enough for the challenge? Story runs before & parallel to KH1. Act 1 of 3. Please Review!
1. Prologue

_Things have been put into motion that cannot be undone. As I am uncertain of the future I have chosen to chronicle the journeys of two young keyblade wielders. Given time, I believe they have what it takes to become keyblade masters. _

_Rachel and her brother Bryan were born in Radiant Garden. At one might expect, they knew little of the worlds that existed outside their own. Stories of other worlds were just whispers from old legends and the sparkle of wonder in a child's dream. _

_Needless to say a world is much bigger than its main city. The city of Radiant Garden, still known as Hollow Bastian at this time, this is of course what it was called before darkness drained the beauty and life from the great city, had begun to stagnate. The behind the scenes studies of hearts and long standing secret plots had slowly taken their toll. Slow enough few residents truly realized what was happening. This droll lifestyle pushed the siblings to make their own fun. _

_Journeying far beyond the city limits to explore, the two made a discovery that would change their lives forever. After a few days hiking the two took shelter in a mysterious cave. It was evident immediately the cave was old. Very old. And it had a strange, eerie presence about it. In the back, a long tunnel led down into dark, unknown depths. On the walls, images were scratched into the stone. Although there were no words to give details to the story, the siblings had a pretty good understanding of the tale._

_A long time ago a great battle had been fought and led up to an image of what looked like a field, but instead of grass or flowers, the filled consisted of keys. The key seemed to be a reoccurring image through the story. The end of the tunnel opened up into a small, but high-ceilinged cavern with just a pinprick of light trickling down from above. The light shone on something incredible. _

_A key_

_A long glistening key with a handle._

_It had been smashed into the ground where the end was stuck in the stone. There were images on these walls too. Going around the room told the story of how the key got there. This is the best the siblings could put together._

_Some time ago a great battle had been fought with these key-shaped weapons. What they were fighting against or fighting for was not made clear. Amidst the fighting, one man fled, traveling across the stars to leave the battle far behind. Overwhelmed with guilt, he found a place of isolation. He left his weapon behind and left forever, his heart shattered with shame._

_On the ground by the key a short message had been scribbled on the stone._

I have disgraced myself and my comrades. I am no longer worthy of wielding the Keyblade. Perhaps I never should have been given the honor at all. I can only pray that one day I may have a successor with a heart stronger and purer than mine. I now give up this world and hope Kingdom Hearts will accept a heart as cowardly as mine.

_Understandably curious, Bryan tried to pull the keyblade from its stone lodging. As hard as he tried it wouldn't budge. Rachel's attempt fared no better. Determined to liberate this mysterious relic from its stone prison, both grabbed the handle to pull it free. But before they could give it one proper yank, something incredible happened. The blade came loose but it had split in two! _

_What exactly happened can only be left to speculation. Perhaps splitting in two was the only way the Keyblade could give itself to two equally worthy wielders. Maybe it had split because the siblings combined hearts had the strength, courage and light necessary to become keyblade wielders. So long as they remained strong together, the blade was not actually in two. Why or how this happened is a mystery to me. Traditionally only Masters can pass along wielder ship of a Keyblade. But I must remind myself that at one time there were no masters to hand down knowledge. Someone had to be first to begin the legacy. And although my knowledge of magic, history and the Keyblades is vast, I would be foolish to believe I have been privileged to all there is to know. Although I do wonder if the previous wielder's message holds a clue, _

"I can only pray that one day I may have a successor with a heart stronger and purer than mine."

_Perhaps that was the consent from a Master and it took until Rachel and Bryan found it end the waiting for a worthy heart._

_Regardless of the specifics, fate had intervened that day. Within a very short time I fear the floods of darkness will race across the stars. Devious plans will upset the balance of darkness of light and once again. Hearts will be tested. Hearts will be blackened. The worlds will need many heroes to calm this dark storm of chaos and pain._

_I had been astounded to hear the whispers of a lost Keyblade. From the heights of my tower I could sense the heartbeat of a veteran Keyblade of the keyblade war. But something was wrong. This keyblade had two distinct heartbeats? How could that be? What could awaken a single sleeping keyblade so it touched two hearts?_

_Curious as I was concerned, I traveled to a far off world to request a messenger be sent to investigate the anomaly and report back. The swiftest messenger was chosen and immediately crossed all boundaries to Hollow Bastion. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for. On the outskirts of the city he found a young woman with long hair and a tall young man fighting back black creatures from the city limits. There weren't many creatures and they weren't very strong. Which was a blessing. Neither the boy nor girl looked to him like they were very skilled fighters. Their strategy appeared little more than understanding that hitting the enemy enough times with the end of the weapon made it disappear. _

_I could hardly believe what the messenger told me upon his return. __**Two**__ new keyblade wielders? And they were fighting Heartless in Hollow Bastion? Things were spiraling faster than I could have anticipated. Hearts always contained darkness so there would never be a time when shadows wouldn't exist. But after they keyblade war, a calm had passed over all the worlds. The darkness was weak and stayed to the shadows. Something must have been set in motion to make the darkness suddenly become so bold as to attack a populated area in daylight._

_I instructed the messenger to convince the children to return with him to my tower. I needed answers and if they had been chosen wielders, they would need an explanation if they were to be the worlds first line of defense. _

_Needless to say, Rachel and Bryan received quite a shock when a strange blue man with wings on his heels appeared out of nowhere. He introduced himself as Hermes. He told them he was from another world far away from Hollow Bastion and could take them to other worlds too. If they wanted to learn more about the other worlds and especially the mysterious weapons they wielded, he could take them to someone with all the answers. The decision did not take long to make. _

_I couldn't help but shake my head a little when Rachel and Bryan first came to my tower. They truly were inexperienced in the art of combat. When they entered the tower I allowed a few Heartless to enter to see how the two would do in a fight. At the time all they really had going for them was potential. They had no battle skills at all. But given time that would all change. _

_Once we had been properly introduced I had a better understanding of the split keyblade. Rachel and Bryan were brother and sister as well as good friends. Their hearts had a strong bond to one another and their combined strength made the keyblade whole. I have expressed my theories as to how this was possible but I have never heard of such a thing happen before so the naked truth of the phenomenon may never be revealed. _

_Over the next few weeks Rachel and Bryan went through proper training fit for future keyblade masters. They sparred against each other all the time. If they could fight with no hesitation against each other they could fight with full strength against a real foe. _

_My good friend Merlin agreed to train them in the art of magic. Nearly every day they spent time at Merlin's cottage to learn new techniques in magic and apply those skills in the forest surrounding his home. New challenges were given all the time as the siblings became more skilled. Regardless of the challenges of the day, evenings always ended at the tower with a warm drink and a story. Stories of other worlds, stories of the past, of the unversed, of Heartless, Nobodies and of course about the keyblades and the keyblade war. _

_They weren't the only keyblade warriors I'd ever trained. But I feel a special connection to these siblings. Although I never had a family of my own, I believe this is what it feels like to have grandchildren. Perhaps it is only because I have not had an apprentice in such a long time. Giving up the title of Master was my own choosing but there were no more Masters to train them. I have accepted them calling me Master. _

_Either way I cannot let my feelings hold them back from what they are meant to do. _

_Again I have felt stirrings among the worlds. I have sensed that somewhere at least one world has fallen to darkness. I knew I would need to send them out soon to new worlds to combat these threats. The day after I felt the disturbance I bestowed Rachel and Bryan with a great gift, two charms with the emblem of Kingdom Hearts. It was a keychain that had not taken shape or power. They would need stronger weapons if they were to have any chance in other worlds. Once they took the charms, both immediately took shape to what could be found in their hearts. _

_Bryan has a strong love of music and prefers to fight with brute strength over magic. His charm became a tiny blue and red drum. This transformed is keyblade into the Bass Blade, a forceful, long-range weapon infused with the power of music. _

_Rachel has a compassionate heart and has an incredible knack for magic the likes I have never before seen. Her charm took the form of a winged star. Her keyblade became Moonlit Majesty, a jeweled keyblade with an endless reservoir of magic. _

_Since I have no vessel I can give them to travel between worlds, I have asked Hermes to journey with them for a time. And neither of them are strong enough yet to transform their keyblades into vessels to travel between worlds. The young warriors know their task. They must protect as many worlds as possible from falling into darkness. Worse yet, I believe this is just the calm before the storm. I sent them out on their adventure today. They know they can return anytime. I know they have strong hearts but I hope I haven't sent them into battle too soon. _


	2. Neverland

Bryan could hardly believe it. He was standing on a new world. He'd felt similarly when Hermes took him and his sister to Master Yen Sid's tower. The wonder of something so spectacular was nothing short of amazing. Bryan hoped he would always feel that same sense of wonder no matter how many new worlds he visited.

"Kay kids, I gotta be getting back to Olympus for a spell." Hermes said, fluttering about five feet above the ground. "Head on back to this spot and gimme a shout when you're ready to move on someplace else."

He gave a quick wave and disappeared back to his world.

"So this is Neverland." Bryan said, surveying the world around him.

Hermes had left them on a mountain ledge overlooking an island. Immediately he could tell this world was special. From so high up he could see the island was divided into four quadrants, one for every season. He and Rachel were in the Autumn quadrant. Travel down the mountain was as beautiful as it was easy. The trees were dressed with gold and red and open areas of land were carpeted with fall flowers.

Rachel skipped around with the wonderment of a child. She couldn't stop giggling with joy.

"This place is incredible." She said, unable to curb her smile. "I say we move here once the adventure is over."

Bryan was about to respond but a noise stopped him. He grabbed his sisters arm to stop her skipping. Shadows shifted among the trees accompanied by the familiar sound of Heartless materializing.

"Don't lay claim to any real estate just yet."

"I'm having that very thought." Rachel agreed.

The two summoned their keyblades as a group of a dozen or so impish looking Heartless surrounded them.

Between the two of them the battle was over as soon as it began. This was in part because they both had long range weapons and partly because Rachel used Thunder a lot. They waited a moment to make sure there were no more Heartless around. Confident the threat had passed, the duo pressed on.

"I wonder what kind of people live here." Rachel thought aloud.

"If this island is even populated at all. Bryan replied.

"That would suck if our first solo adventure was to a place where the only other beings for company were the Heartless."

"Might make finding the keyhole easier." Bryan said. "Especially if we're not alone and the natives aren't friendly."

Oh the irony that would later follow that statement.

They came close to the winter quadrant and Bryan motioned to explore that area last. After all, why freeze when it wasn't necessary? Hollow Bastion never got very cold and snow had only fallen a few times in the city's history.

All across the Autumn quadrant Heartless popped in and out but were not very strong or hard to get rid of. But the sudden appearance of the Heartless helped Rachel and Bryan sharpen their awareness skills. However, their awareness skills weren't honed enough to keep them completely out of trouble, as they would soon find out.

The transition between Autumn and Summer was stranger than anything Bryan could have imagined and much different to the view from the ground than it was from above. It was as though someone had drawn an invisible line defining the two seasons. On one side everything was gold, reds, oranges and faded greens and the other side was lush emerald green. Even the branches that crossed the line were split between seasons. Rachel stood right on the invisible line and looked up at the mixed branches then at her feet, one foot in each season.

"This is really weird, but so totally awesome! I bet standing between Spring and Winter is even stranger."

The trees changed from deciduous trees dressed for the season to primarily conifers. Most of them would have made perfect Christmas trees.

"Ahhh!" Rachel sighed after a deep inhale through the nose. "Pine." She inhaled again. "Everything smells so fresh."

"You know I have to take your word for that." Bryan replied.

"I know," Rachel said. "I know that statement's lost on you but I felt it needed to be said."

Bryan smirked as they pressed on. She knew talking about anything regarding the sense of smell would be mostly talking to herself. He hadn't had a sense of smell since he was six. Rachel would sometimes comment about how sad it must be not to smell the forest after a rain or freshly baked bread. Bryan really didn't care. In his mind, he couldn't miss what he couldn't remember having.

"I wonder if the Heartless will be different in each season." Rachel mused aloud.

"That wouldn't make much sense. Why would th-aahey!"

Suddenly the world turned upside down as Bryan stepped in a trap and was hanging from a tree by his foot.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?!"

"I'm ok. I'm fine! Just get me down." Bryan said, his arms flailing a bit. "No! Wait! Stop the spinning first."

"Alright, hold on." Rachel grabbed her brother by his vest to stop the swaying. After Bryan was relatively still Rachel followed the rope to its tether. "Ok, brace yourself. I won't guarantee this will be smooth."

With one hand she held the rope and the other held her keyblade. The keyblade tapped the rope and sparked with fire. As the rope burned, Rachel grabbed it with both hands and braced herself for when the rope snapped. The plan kinda worked. Bryan didn't get hurt but the landing was far from graceful.

Bryan picked himself up and brushed himself off. "Who would put a trap in the middle of the woods!?" he snapped, very annoyed.

"Probably a _hunter_." Rachel answered. "That at least proves this place is inhabited."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Bryan huffed, embarrassed and grumpy he had been the one to set off the trap.

The quadrants were much bigger when traveling on foot than viewing from a mountain. They found a deer path and followed that through the woods. Bryan could feel his bad mood start to fade, especially after being able to beat the daylights out of several dozen Heartless. But he did have a twinge of annoyance that wasn't allowed to dissipate because of Rachel being so twitchy all of a sudden. Finally he couldn't take it anymore.

"What are you looking for!" He said sharply, moreso than he meant to. "You haven't stopped looking behind us. It's like you've got a nervous tick."

"Don't you get the feeling like we're being followed?" She asked, looking around again.

"It's probably just the Heartless."

"Maybe," She replied quietly.

But Bryan could hear in her voice she didn't believe her answer. After a short while he could feel it too, like someone was staring at the back of his head. But he couldn't tell if he truly felt like he was being watched or if his sisters paranoia had rubbed off.

"Did that tree just move?"

Now he was irritated.

"What are you talking about?"

"I turned around and I swear the tree I saw a second ago got closer."

"We're in a forest. All the trees look the same. You're just paranoid. Now cut it out. What would Master Yen Sid say if you're always this worried?"

"It's not paranoia when you're actually being followed. And I'm only worrying because I have reason to. I'm telling you, there's something in these woods that isn't a Heartless"

"But you're overlooking one thing. Trees can't move on their own!"

"We were left on this island by a blue man who can fly after receiving magical combat training by two genuine sorcerers. One of them has a talking owl. I think moving trees shouldn't be too far a stretch."

Bryan rolled his eyes, exasperated. He hated it when his sister made points that were hard to refute.

"Alright then. I'll bite. What makes you think the tree moved?"

"That little pine tree with the bent top branch was behind those small bushes a minute ago and now it's in front. I think it's following us."

"Following us? _Really_? Why would a tree do that anyway? Doesn't it have enough tree friends in a forest?"

"I'll ignore the sarcasm because I know I'm right."

"You want me to prove nothing's wrong? Fine. I will."

Bryan walked right up to the tree, looked it up and down, circled it and looked back to Rachel. He shrugged in '_see?_' sort of way that. Rachel remained where she'd been standing with her arms crossed, still waiting for her suspicions to be disproven beyond all doubt.

"Fine." Bryan muttered. He stood by the side of the tree, summoned the Bass Blade and gave the tree a few hard prods. A few needles fell to the ground but nothing else.

"Are you convinced now? Or would you feel better if I set it on fire? Unless you think it has feelings-."

"There! Right there! That bottom branch just moved when you said that."

"That only proves a squirrel lives there." Bryan felt a twinge of frustration beginning to build. They'd wasted too much time arguing over a dumb tree. He hooked the teeth of the keyblade under the branch she'd indicated and lifted it. "See? Happy now?"

Rachel stared at the branch for several long seconds. Slowly she uncrossed her arms, looked Bryan squarely in the eye and shook her head while speaking in monotone.

"I guess you're right. The twitch must have been from a squirrel. Trees can't move on their own. I've just been a little on edge."

Bryan dropped the branch and his shoulders slumped in a you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me kind of way.

As close siblings he and Rachel had an understanding of several forms of nonverbal communication. Her looking at him like that, speaking so dully and shaking her head while saying something positive all added up to her knowing something that needed immediate attention. Most likely that 'something' would not be good.

Rachel twitched her head back, signaling for Bryan to come to her. When he was at her side they both turned and kept walking, slowly and carefully.

"What did you see?" He asked quietly through the corner of his mouth.

"A pair of feet." Rachel muttered back. She looked over her shoulder again.

"Did it move?"

"No."

Bryan breathed in relief. Maybe whomever had been following them would give up if they suspected they'd been found out.

"There's more than one."

_Oh great_. Bryan thought. Part of him wanted some kind of confirming detail, but he also knew the more they talked the more likely they were to obviously give away the fact they knew they had a pursuer. A decision had to be made. After walking casually side by side for several yards he whispered,

"Run."

The reaction was instantaneous. The forest erupted with shouts and battle cries. Bryan looked over his shoulder to view the pursuers and nearly ran into a tree after doing a double-take. The trees themselves were charging at them! Only when he glimpsed one or two had red-skinned arms did the image make sense. A wonderment flitted across his mind as he ran. Why would anyone leave their disguise on after they knew they'd been discovered? He shook the thought from his mind. Of all things to be curious or worried about that should not have been one of them.

"Bryan!" Rachel summoned her keyblade. "Jump!"

He did without question. Rachel did the same and brought the power of Wind around them. The swirling gust gave them a gentle push that made running less exhausting and helped them gain distance. Aided by the Wind they quickly widened the gap between them and the screaming trees. Before long the forest began to thin and opened up to a field of tall grass. Willing to try anything to lose the entourage the two charged into the tall grass. Only a few yards in Rachel dispelled the Wind. It left a much more obvious track to follow than two people running. The grass was tall and thick but still not hard to run through. Bryan kept glancing to his right to make sure he could still see his sister. The last thing either of them needed was to get separated then picked off. He could see a large dark boulder up ahead. Once they reached it they hid on the other side. Only then did they dare to catch their breath.

"This won't work." Bryan said, trying to keep his panting as quiet as possible. "They have to know behind a rock is the first place we'd hide."

Rachel nodded, also trying to catch her breath. "We'll have to fight out way out, wont we?"

There didn't seem to be another option. The field could stretch for miles and the deeper they went the greater the chance of getting separated. To top it off, whoever those people chasing them were probably knew the area well enough they couldn't escape anyway. It was then Bryan noticed something that really made his stomach sink. The yelling had stopped. Rachel had noticed it too.

"There's no way they gave up just like that. We're never going to know they're coming, will we?"

"That might not be true. Maybe following us is just too much of a hassle in the tall grass." Bryan said, trying to make himself believe himself. "Or they know there's little chance of us getting out again and chose not to bother."

"Or they know there's something in here they'd rather not face."

"What makes you say tha-?"

_Oh no_. He could feel it too. A swell of darkness that had gone unnoticed until just then.

The second the rock behind them grunted and moved Bryan could practically hear Master Yen Sid's voice calling them off for not being vigilant. He and Rachel jumped away as the Heartless stood up and unfurled its huge frame. It looked like a heavily armored abstract human with huge shoulders, a small waist and short legs with a rhinoceros helmet. It turned and scowled at them with beady yellow eyes. With enormous fists it pounded the ground, challenging them to fight.

Instantly the Bass Blade was in his hands. He knew he shouldn't be surprised that Heartless could come in all sizes but this thing had to be at least eleven feet tall. He had always been pretty tall so having to look up so high to look something in the eye was daunting.

The Heartless made the first move.


	3. Neverland: After The Fight

As soon as a strong hit yielded a great flash of light from the Heartless Bryan knew the fight was over. He and Rachel jumped away, blades at the ready just in case. But it was unnecessary. The Heartless stumbled backward, waved its huge arms slowly then froze. As it did, light flickered off of it and a pale, semi-transparent crystal-y heart floated away and the Heartless disappeared.

Even though the Heartless was gone, Bryan didn't feel comfortable letting his guard down just yet. He wasn't facing her but Bryan could feel Rachel's tension too. Thirty seconds, nothing. One minute, nothing. He lowered his keyblade finally confident the threat had passed. Rachel had done the same. The grass had been flattened in a wide circle from the fighting. Everything was calm. The tall grass barely rustled. Nothing would have suggested an intense battle had taken place only moments ago.

Bryan hoped there weren't a lot more of those. This trip would be a pain in the neck if the native heartless were all like that. It was a little slow but it had a really good back-hand. Not like wishing for easier Heartless would just make it happen. Wishing for the easy just meant a lack of character. Besides, it was too early in the quest to complain about things being hard. At least there had only been one and it didn't have laser vison or something.

A soft breeze tickled the tips of the tall grass. Looking around at the standing grass while standing amongst the trampled felt like being in a pit with high walls. Despite being younger than his sister, Bryan was taller but still had to jump to see over the grass.

"Now what?" Rachel asked. "If we keep trying to get through the grass we could get lost or meet more of those Heartless. Who knows how many of those rocks aren't actually rocks. If we go back,"

"We risk being pursued again." Bryan finished.

"And whoever they were, they weren't Heartless."

That was the hard part. If it was a stampede of Heartless then that would be simple. Just beat the crap out of them until they stop showing up. Human enemies would be an entirely different challenge. If these people didn't like visitors, that would be a problem. If they had unfamiliar customs, that would be a problem. If they were just flat-out unfriendly, nothing could be done about it but it would still be a problem. And Master Yen Sid did say all worlds operated differently and its people could have a wide assortment of abilities. Bryan never doubted his master's wisdom but only now, facing a potential problem did he really understand it.

Suddenly Bryan realized they weren't alone. He could feel eyes watching him. Heartless? Bryan's grip tightened around his Keyblade. No, Heartless left a certain atmosphere. Through the yellow grass he could see red-skinned figures staring at them. He was about to raise his Keyblade but he saw Rachel lower hers. Then he sensed what she obviously had. There was no malice in the atmosphere. These were just people and they weren't intent on attack. In fact, they slowly began to come out of the grass looking quite astonished. After they fully processed what they had just witnessed, the entire group started yelling and hollering with triumph.

The sudden screaming startled Bryan at first as well as when they began to dance around him and his sister. But at least it was clear now these people meant them no harm. After the Indians settled down a bit, they insisted Bryan and Rachel come back to their camp to meet the chief. They spoke a little strangely. Most had deep, bear-like voices that were hard to understand but in the end the message got across. Bryan agreed to go with them and the Indians cheered again.


	4. Neverland: The Indian Camp

Rachel and Bryan were escorted back to the Indian camp like heroes. When they could see the camp their escorts started jumping around, hollering and dancing. There was a commotion in the camp as the other Indians came out to see what the hoo-ha was all about.

Rachel couldn't withhold her smile. This was fun. Getting into the mood she skipped along with the escort and clapped a little too. The rest of the tribe gathered to see the visitors their tribesmen were bringing into their midst. Thankfully Rachel could sense a more curious atmosphere than a hostile or distrusting one. Finally they were brought before the man who was obviously the chief. He was tall with paint on his face and wore a large feathered headdress. Before him the escort became very quiet. The Chief carefully looked over the strangely dressed strangers for a moment.

"How!" He said sharply and raised his hand in greeting.

The escort copied his motion and replied with 'How!'. Not sure what else to do and not wanting to appear rude Rachel and Bryan quickly did the same. One Indian in the escort party gave a message to the Chief in sign language. Rachel figured it was good news about them, especially when he mimicked using a weapon in a sword-like way. The Chief raised an eyebrow at the braves' story, but his face was so stoic Rachel couldn't tell if that meant he was impressed or he didn't believe the braves' story. The Chief gazed over his braves, seeking confirmation of the story. They all nodded then stepped back, leaving Rachel and Bryan standing before the Chief alone. After another moment of surveying the keyblade wielders, he spoke.

"Recent moons have brought back shadows all cross homeland." He announced to the whole tribe as much as he did Rachel and Bryan. "Now braves tell of new braves that fight shadows and make homeland safe."

The tribe murmured in excitement and awe. The Chief acted as though he hadn't heard and looked back and forth between the strangers.

"How you fight shadows and make shadows flee?"

"With these, sir." Rachel replied.

She and Bryan held their right arms out so their hands were level with their eyes and summoned their weapons. In a flash of radiant light the keyblade obeyed its masters. The polished metal surface of the Bass Blade gleamed in the fading sun. The jewels of Moonlit Majesty caught the light and sparkled like rainbow stars. The tribe reacted with a wave of shocked awe. The Chief however only slightly raised his eyebrows in surprise. Otherwise his expression remained unchanged.

"Those fight shadows."

"Yes they do, sir." Bryan said.

"We came here to defeat as many shadows as we can." Rachel added.

"We're looking for something that could make that shadows leave for good. It will at least keep this world from falling into shadow forever."

There was an excited murmur through the camp. Even the Chief looked pleased. He raised his hand to silent the murmurs.

"Bad shadows have returned to homeland after many moons of peace. Bad shadows make even good red-man brave run with fear. You pale-face braves seek bad shadows to keep homeland safe. Your task great. Red-man grateful. Tonight we feast in honor of pale-face braves that fight shadows and bring back light."

The tribe erupted into joyous hollers and cries. Rachel looked at her brother. He was smiling too.

"Release the prisoners! Tonight all shall celebrate." The Chief called out.

_Prisoners_? Rachel wondered. Some distance away, completely overlooked until just then were a group of boys tied to a wooden post. Most were dressed as some kind of animal but two wore pajamas. She guessed the oldest to be maybe ten at the most. The youngest perhaps only five.

After they'd been cut loose the boys ran right over and started talking together and asking questions as though nothing happened. Only the two in pajamas appeared to have any concept of manners. All the others kept pushing each other and interrupting one another constantly.

"You can fight the shadow monsters too?"

"Where are you from?"

"Where'd you get those swords?"

"Do you know that guy who left the wooden sword in our treasure chest?"

"I've never seen you before."

"You're dressed funny."

"You look like grown-ups so-"

"-what are you doing in Neverland?"

"Do you know the nice girl with blue hair?"

A little boy dressed as a rabbit tugged at Rachel's pant leg above her boot. Rachel got down on one knee to listen to him, impressed he made an attempt to get her attention before he started talking. The Indians were busy preparing the feast for the evening to mind them talking with the boys.

"You're a girl. But you're tall. Are you a grown up?"

"Almost," Rachel said slowly. She wasn't sure where a question like that came from or what could possibly follow.

"Do you tell stories?"

"Um, I know a few, yes."

"So you could be our mother too, right?"

"Sorry, what?"

The boy dressed as a bear, later to find out his name was Cubby, heard the tail end of the conversation and joined in.

"You can't have two mothers! Can you?"

" Why not? Two mothers, twice the number of stories!"

At this point the rest of the wild boys caught wind of what was going on and they all began begging Rachel to be their other mother. From what all the boys were saying Rachel got the idea that they thought a mother was the girl who takes care of you and tells you stories.

This shallow idea of what makes a mother concerned her. How was it possible that none of these children had any idea of what a mother truly was? What kind of place was this? Were they all orphans? A little boy dressed as a skunk clung to her ankle like a baby koala and looked up at her with big, pitiful, begging eyes.

"The thing is guys, we're not going to be here for very long so we may not have much time to play." Bryan cut in.

Rachel was grateful Bryan came to the rescue but she still felt bad over the crushed reaction of the boys. It was so sad to see these children so disappointed not to have a mother even in a playing-house sort of way.

"Well…we don't know how long it will take to find the you-know-what and maybe they can help. There's no reason we can't indulge them a little until our task is over, is there?"

That sounded enough like a 'yes' to make the children cheer. Bryan gave her an odd look. Rachel looked back at him and shrugged in a sorry-but-what-else-could-I-do? fashion. He'd given her an out and her own squishy, child-loving heart dove right back into the hole he could have got her out of.

After Rachel and her brother had finished answering as many of the questions put to them as they dared, they asked a few of their own. On this island the only adults were Indians and Pirates. Here children were allowed to play and do whatever they wanted day in and day out and never grew up. Their names were Tootles, Nibs, Slightly, Cubby and the twins were known as the Raccoon Twins or the First and Second twin. The boys in pajamas were John and Michael. They came to the island with their sister Wendy. They had been playing while Wendy and Peter Pan had gone to mermaid lagoon. It was during their game that they had been captured by the Indians. But that was ok. They'd been caught before as had the Indians. When the game was over one always let the other go to play the game some other time.


	5. Neverland: Meeting Peter Pan

The Indians wouldn't let Rachel or Bryan assist in preparing their own celebration in any way despite offers to do so. The lost boys helped collect firewood and mix paints. They were banished from the paint task when they started getting messy. As the preparations were coming together, two new kids came on the scene. By the excited reaction of the lost boys Bryan guessed this was Peter Pan and Wendy. Curiously enough, they had flown to the camp much like he and Rachel could if they concentrated their Wind magic around them. These two kids however appeared to be unaided by any obvious magic. The Indians greeted Peter and Wendy like friends and did not have any issue with flying children. Apparently this was not an uncommon thing in this world.

The lost boys gathered around Peter and Wendy (it seemed Peter was their leader) and told them all about the newcomers who fought shadows. The boy in green looked at Bryan and his sister strangely. Bryan thought it was crazy but he was sure he saw a flash of jealousy across the kids face. As the night would progress the keyblade wielders would learn that Peter Pan was the first lost boy on Neverland, could fly freely and up until Bryan and his sister arrived, was the only one who could successfully defeat a Heartless. Come to find out, he hadn't been honored for this skill the way they were right then.

The Chief came out of his tent and the tribe gathered around the large pile of sticks and branches that would be the bonfire for the nights celebration. He said a few words reiterating why the pale-face braves were being honored. He also said something like a thank you in advance for all the shadows they would slay. To Bryan, it sounded more like a, thank-you-for-endangering-yourself-for-us-but-I-expect-to-see-results-soon.

A brave was about to light the fire when Rachel stepped in with her keyblade. She gave the brave a respectful nod and requested to light the fire, promising they would not be disappointed. Bryan shook his head but was grinning. He knew she had a performers heart and loved to show off neat skills whenever given the opportunity.

Rachel held Moonlit Majesty in front of her with both hands. Slowly the orb at the end glowed red-orange and small tendrils of flame reached out from the jewel. Then, brandishing the keyblade like a magic wand the bonfire was set alight with a crackling flash of light and sparks. Next she called the Wind and it spun around the flames and took it to the sky like a fiery tornado.

The tribe and lost boys cheered and hollered at the display of magic. The celebration officially began afterward. Baskets of food were passed around, Indians sang and danced and everyone wanted a better look at the keyblades and to see more magic.

As the night went on Bryan joined some of the Indians in charge of the music. He got comfortable with a drum and picked up on their beat immediately. He'd always been able to keep in time with just about any rhythm he heard. After a while Bryan decided to pick up the pace and the Indians joined in. The dancing really got crazy after that.

Rachel got up and danced as the music picked up. An older Indian woman kept trying to make the girl, Wendy, get more firewood until Rachel took Wendy by the hand and invited her to dance. Bryan laughed to himself. His sister really wasn't much of a dancer but at least she was having fun. After a while of beating on the drum, Bryan changed instruments. He beat out a rhythm with the Bass Blade by tapping it against a large rock. Being infused with the power of music each tap sounded like the entire percussion section of an orchestra. Once and a while Rachel would swing her keyblade about, letting it trail different colors of magic. Both lost boys and Indian children chased after it, trying to catch the colors. Just for fun and to the delight of the tribe she would make the fire erupt and spark like crimson fireworks.

The party lasted for hours, but like all good things, it couldn't last forever. Before the Chief declared the celebration over, he gathered everyone for one final announcement. From that day onward the tribe would know the pale-face braves as Beating Drum and Dancing Fire. When the Chief finished speaking he retired to his tent. Most of the braves did the same while the women cleaned up.

Peter Pan led his troop away from the camp, back to their home. Everyone still had a spring in their step despite feasting and dancing for hours.

"You gotta come with us!" Slightly grabbed Bryan by the wrist and tried to drag him along.

"Beating Drum and Dancing Fire! Beating Drum and Dancing Fire!" The other boys chanted.

Peter didn't look at all happy with the idea but the rest of the boys were insistent and Wendy said 'please' so he didn't have much choice. The boys cheered and danced. Peter flew above and ahead of the group, leading the way. He didn't seem in a celebratory mood but didn't silence the lost boys either. Rachel followed not far behind him with Moonlit Majesty aglow at her side with white light and Tootles sitting happily on her shoulders. The twins rushed Bryan hoping to also get a piggy back ride. Bryan was about to oblige them until he heard the sound that meant trouble. He looked to his sister. She'd heard it too.

Heartless.

Rachel raised her keyblade high and intensified the light. Beady yellow eyes peered back at them through the darkness. Peter Pan had seen them too.

"Lost boys! Hold together!"

The sudden command caused the children to freeze, startled by the harsh words amidst all the fun they were having. It wasn't until Wendy cried out in panic did they realize what must be happening and clustered together in a terrified huddle.

Bryan drew the Bass Blade. These were just Shadows and Darter Imps. Neither were very strong or hard to defeat but could cause serious damage to the untrained because they always attacked in groups.

"I'll take care of them, you stay close to the boys."

Rachel didn't argue. She probably couldn't have fought very well anyway with a terrified Tootles clinging to her head for dear life. Her keyblade sparked, ready to give an unpleasant jolt to anything that got too close.

Bryan dove into action. There looked to be a lot of Darter Imps. That might be a problem. Hence their name, they were known for their erratic movements. Apart from Thunder to hit several at once, there was no strategic way to fight them apart from bashing like a maniac. But Thunder might be risky with the children around. He would have to get this over quickly then.

Suddenly Peter Pan was floating at his side. He had a small knife in his hand, his eyes focused for a fight.

"No way," Bryan said. "This could get dangerous. You stay back there where Rachel can keep you all safe."

"Like I need a girl to protect me." Peter laughed. "I've been fighting these things long before you guys got here!"

Bryan would have protested but Peter had already charged ahead, slashing at any Heartless within arm's length. Forget it, so long as he wasn't getting clobbered Bryan figured it would have been a waste of energy to try and stop him instead of just focusing on the Heartless.

The fight was by no means hard. The problem lay with just trying to catch the stupid things. If all the Heartless weren't cleared out they might try to pursue. Bryan set his aim to a Shadow but his swing was just a fraction too slow before the Heartless flattened and scurried about the ground. He hated it when they did that. Bryan knew he couldn't worry about that one while it was still a shadow so he looked for the next closest target. Then, out of the corner of his eye he saw something large and black move across the ground. Great. Were the Shadows getting bigger? Couldn't be, the place where the Shadow he'd seen a second ago had a puff of darkness dissipating quickly from it. But what had made the Heartless go puff?

Rachel stood over the huddled children like a mother eagle protecting her nest. She wasn't even using her magic unless absolutely necessary so it couldn't have been her that struck down the Heartless. Not only that, Peter was in green, but what he had seen, even for a second was definitely black. Still, his bewilderment didn't deter him from his task. It also didn't keep him from noticing and feeling a bit impressed by how well Peter successfully fought the Heartless with little to no damage done to himself.

Bryan scooped up an Imp with the teeth of his Keyblade and threw it in the air. A Shadow came up from behind and scratched him on the back of his leg. He turned his attention to it but it had already flattened. He watched it, ready to pound it flat when suddenly the dark shape appeared again and obliterated the Heartless. But the thing moved off too quickly to get a good look at.

The Heartless swarmed for what felt like an hour but it was only about five minutes. It's funny how handling a multitude of enemies makes time feel different. The Lost Boys looked around when the commotion died down but didn't break up their huddle.

"What was that thing? Did any of you see that dark shape? It beat those Heartless." Bryan said.

"You mean that big black thing that moved over the trees?" Rachel replied.

"Yeah, what was it?"

Peter threw out his chest with pride. "That was my shadow." He said, proudly.

"Your what?" Bryan asked.

"My shadow. It's a lot more special than others. Look. Hold up that light a bit higher." Peter said to Rachel.

Rachel held Moonlit Majesty above her head and intensified the glow. When she did, the light cast a shadow on one of the nearby trees. The shadow cast from his feet much farther than a shadow normally would. It was Peters' shadow, and it waved at them, but Peter was still standing with his arms crossed.

"How is it doing that?" Rachel asked amazed.

"It's always been like that."

"And it can fight Heartless." Bryan confirmed.

"You bet it can!" The shadow made a bow worthy of any professional performer. "Didn't I tell ya I could take care of myself?"

"Looks like you were right all along." Bryan said. "Great job taking care of those Heartless."

Peter's attitude improved greatly after Bryan's praise. The celebratory atmosphere had vanished. Now all the boys wanted to do was to get home as soon as possible and without further incident. The lost boys lived in a large hollow tree known as Hangman's Tree. As soon as they could see it the boys bolted, eager to get inside. One by one they vanished into secret doors and other entrances around or in the tree. Rachel and Bryan had to use a large round door at the base of the tree. Peter Pan opened it by hitting it in just the right spot and it rolled out of the way. Peter slid down it, followed by Wendy and her brothers. Once they were sure everyone was safe inside, Rachel and Bryan went down too.

Both hit their heads on the ceiling when they stood up. The underground room clearly wasn't intended for anyone over 4'5". The ceiling rose a bit in the center of the room but nowhere could Bryan, at 6'1", stand up comfortably straight. Tangled roots were used as shelves and frames for beds. Several hammocks hung from the ceiling. A big bear rug lay across the floor. There was only one actual bed in the room. A drape on the far side of the room indicated there was a second room behind it. Pillows and blankets were piled haphazardly on another side of the room. Judging by their cleanliness Rachel guessed they didn't get used much.

Once in the safety of their tree all the boys were all yawns and droopy eyes. Until,

"Wendy, tell us a story." Slightly said.

There was a new wave of energy as everyone swarmed Wendy at her place on the bed with 'pleases' for a bedtime story. Rachel smiled at the scene. Wendy told the story of a golden fish caught by a fisherman who promised to grant three wishes in exchange for its freedom. All the boys (those who weren't drifting off) were hanging on her every word. By the time the fisherman's wife had wasted the second wish demanding a fancy new washtub, the unpleasant feeling returned. These kids said Wendy was their mother and Wendy seemed to be playing along. They were all just playing house but treated the game as if it were real. Is this really all they thought a mother was? Did none of them really have a worried mother waiting for them anywhere? Her heart sank at the thought.

Less than a minute after the story was over Nibbs piped up that the night should end with a lullaby. He tugged at Rachel's sleeve saying it was her turn. Instantly all heads turned to her, sleepy eyes and all. She smiled. Maybe just one.


	6. Neverland: Mermaid Lagoon

Sunbeams kissed the land as the last colors of the sunrise faded. Dewdrops dried up hours ago. Not a creature anywhere had a drowsy eye.

Well, almost.

Soft snores rattled inside Hangman's Tree. The lost boys were splayed everywhere. They had just slept where ever they dropped. Bryan, however, suddenly jolted awake. Drowsily he looked around the room for what had woken him. He had always been a heavy sleeper. Hardly anything except hard relentless shakes could wake him if he wasn't ready to get up. And even if he hadn't gone to bed tired he could almost sleep the same hours a day as a koala if there was no one to bother him. So what could have rattled him from slumber was a mystery. Still, he was awake now whether he liked it or not.

Slowly he sat up, knowing immediately that even though his eyes felt covered with fuzz and a yawn was only seconds away he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. Once his eyes focused and his brain unfuzzed Bryan noticed his sister was nowhere to be seen.

"She better not have gone off without me." Bryan grumbled through a mouthful of sleep. He stood up and stretched the best he could. But not being able to stand up straight denied a good stretch its feeling of satisfaction.

The tree buzzed with light snores and occasional snorts. Young boys gently sucked their thumbs and drooled a little in their sleep. Bryan didn't bother being quiet as he climbed up to the door. He knew exhausted children could sleep harder that he did.

Once Bryan squeezed out of the door he took the opportunity to stretch properly. He glanced around. Rachel was nowhere in sight. Figuring she'd come back the moment he went to look for her Bryan decided to wait. He sat on a large root and within a minute started absent-mindedly tapping out a rhythm on his thigh. After another minute the tune in his head intensified. Bryan called the Bass Blade and tapped out a rhythm with it against the root.

"Beating out the jungle rhythm?"

Bryan looked up but didn't stop the beat. Rachel had come back with a basket of fruits and vegetables under her arm.

"Been up long?" She asked, sitting on the root next to him and offering the basket.

"Nah. You?"

"About an hour I think. Fought off some heartless while looking for breakfast. You wouldn't believe how many different plants grow in the same place. There are really friendly monkeys here. They gave me the bananas. And I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure I saw a bear."

Bryan looked into the basket. She'd brought back a few fat carrots, apples, bananas, pears and a large handful of green beans. He raised an eyebrow and picked up something large and yellow-green.

"What _is_ this?"

"Honestly? I have no idea. I don't know if it's sweet, sour or even ripe."

Bryan took all the green beans and began eating them no differently than if they were candy. The pickings were very slim for breakfast. He didn't eat apples or bananas unless he had to and he wouldn't touch pears.

"Is this all you could find?"

"Just in the direction I went. The carrot patch wasn't that big and I cleaned out that beanstalk for you."

They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence.

Bryan spat out a bean stem. "Were you going to tell the Lost Boys that we're going?"

"I wasn't going to. After last night they'll still be asleep for a while yet, I think. And I think we made it clear we're on a mission. That Wendy seemed one of the sharper tools in the shed. I'm sure at least she'll come to that conclusion and tell the others. Besides, even if we find the keyhole today, we'd still have to go back to say good-bye."

Bryan didn't say anything but agreed in his head.

"So where should we go first?"

"I don't care." Bryan said. "We have to look everywhere anyway."

"I saw a lot of water in the distance when I was looking for food. Let's go back that way. I'll bet it's the ocean!"

That would be exciting. Rachel had only seen the Rising Falls once when she was really young and the biggest expanse of water Bryan had ever seen was a man-made lily pond.

The journey to the ocean was uneventful with the exception of the appearance of several new Heartless. The closer they got to the water the more varied the Heartless became. Each new type had its own fighting style as well as weaknesses that had to be discovered and exploited. It took longer to defeat them too. Not just because of the time it takes to understand the enemy but these new Heartless were getting tougher.

A little out of breath Bryan and Rachel stood at the top of a slope overlooking a peaceful lagoon that spilled into the ocean. The view was amazing. Just passed the cove of polished moss-covered rocks the vast ocean spread out as far as the eye could see. The sky and sea were so blue they almost appeared to be one. Sea birds were no more than tiny dots in the distance but their shrill cries could still be heard. Glistening white-capped waves crashed against the golden sand. Below, the lagoon was filled with lush green trees, brilliant flowers and a small, sparkling waterfall.

Suddenly Rachel gasped sharply. Bryan felt his back stiffen and finger twitch, ready to summon his Keyblade. But a little voice in the back of his mind told him to wait. He'd heard that same gasp before and it could mean one of two things. It was the same gasp that meant both "Gyahhh! Something scary/BIG spider killit killit killit!" and "Ohmigosh it's so cute!"which got annoying.

"What?" He hissed, quickly looking around and straining his ears for Heartless.

"Look look look!" She reached her hands around his head and directed his gaze down into the lagoon.

He looked but at first didn't see what she found so interesting. Then he noticed there was something moving down in the lagoon. People? More specifically a group of girls. More specifically a group (school?) of _mermaids_. He'd never been into fantasy things growing up the way his sister had been but there was no denying seeing a real-life mermaid was pretty cool.

"Come on! Come on!" Rachel grabbed his sleeve and jumped up and down. "We are so getting a closer look!"

She charged on ahead down the slope with the giggly air of a child who knew her birthday present was a pony. Bryan had no choice but to follow. Not like getting the chance to meet a real mermaid was going to ruin his day.

At level with the lagoon they laid on a high rock overlooking the water. Below the mermaids were basking on several rocks in the center of the lagoon. They would flick their slender blue tails from time to time, fuss with their hair or jump in and swim a lap around the rocks before getting back on again.

"Heheehe, this is so amazing!" Rachel giggled in a high-pitched whisper.

"Aren't mermaids supposed to avoid people? This is probably all the closer we'll be able to get." His knowledge of mermaid folklore was understandably limited but he did remember a thing or two from what Rachel had read in her fairy tale books when they were children.

A blonde mermaid with a white lei of flowers around her neck sat at the edge of one of the rocks, fussed with her hair and looked at her reflection. She saw something in the water and went to reach for it. Suddenly a dark green hand shot out of the water and grabbed her arm. She screamed and immediately the peace was broken. The Heartless raised its head out of the water and stared at her with bright orange eyes. She continued screaming, flopping about and hitting it without success. None of her other mermaid companions lifted so much as a scale to help her. They too were screaming and trying to save themselves. But new aquatic Heartless were now swarming the lagoon. The mermaids who jumped in the water were chased. The ones who stayed on the rocks tried to get as high as they could but only cornered themselves as the Heartless began to circle.

"Guess that's our cue." Bryan said.

Together they called their keyblade and charged down the beach. The Heartless noticed them immediately and began the attack. The smallest ones looked like aquatic Darter Imps. They were a little bigger than a Shadow with huge, black wide eyes and wicked jumpers. These were blue-green, scaly with webbed clawed-hands and feet and big frills on their heads. Blue Rhapsody Heartless danced overhead like a snowstorm. Also overhead Heartless that looked like seagull harpies with short legs but nasty long claws soared overhead. Blue Rhapsodies were easy to defeat assuming they held still for longer than a few seconds. Fortunately it took them a moment to charge up their icy blasts.

The more Heartless were defeated the mermaids jumped in the water and disappeared. The worst part of the fighting was trying to hit the Heartless and at the same time not fall into the water. Eventually they both said screw it and used all their magic on Thunder until every last Heartless had been fried.

After what felt like a hundred Heartless, Bryan let himself collapse on the stone. He felt strangely drained and a little dizzy. Magic was Rachel's strength, not his. Using so much so quickly was exhausting. It didn't help anything that his shoes were soaked through either. Rachel sat down next to him, also catching her breath. The Heartless had continued coming for what seemed like forever. That had been one of the longest fights yet, especially with so many Heartless at one time. Might as well get used to it. No doubt similar fights were inevitable no matter where they went.

"Well that was fun." Rachel said blandly. She used Cura and the beating no longer stung.

Bryan lay back on the stone and didn't respond. A few minutes passed in silence as they rested. Then Rachel swatted his side. That was annoying. Just as he was beginning to relax she wanted something. He sat up, ready to respond with a rude "_What_?". That is, at least until he saw what she had.

The mermaids had returned. They were less than a stone's throw away from where Bryan and his sister sat on the shore, quietly watching them. Even after being discovered, the five mermaids didn't retreat to the water. A girl with jet black hair tied up with bright orange corals gently glided close to the shore.

"You…you both saved us from those horrible monsters." She said in a quiet, awed voice.

"That was so brave." Said another with red hair and gold circlet around her head.

"It was the most incredible and amazing thing I've ever seen." Said a blonde with flowers in her hair. She put her elbows on the shore looking starry eyed (mostly at Bryan).

"Glad you think so. It's what we do." Rachel said. "None of you were hurt were you?"

"Oh no, we're fine." Answered a red-head with a ponytail. "Thanks to you two."

"There must be something we can do to thank you." The blonde with flowers said, still gazing adoringly at Bryan, a gaze that was making him a little uncomfortable.

"No," Bryan said slowly. "I think we're good."

"Oh no no no!" The black-haired mermaid said. She pulled herself on the shore and her sisters did the same.

"We must do something to repay you for saving us."

"Mermaid law demands it you know."

"Yes, yes! If a human saves a mermaids life the debt must be repaid somehow."

Then, completely ignoring that anyone else was there the mermaids gathered close and discussed amongst themselves what they could do. They bickered and suggested ideas for some time. All the while only three feet away from Rachel and Bryan.

"Do you think they forgot about us?" Rachel asked.

It was clear just by looking at her that she had hoped her first real encounter with a mermaid would be a bit more magical. But before Bryan had a chance to respond the mermaids turned around. Two of them giggled and dove back into the lagoon. When asked where they'd gone the rest just giggled in a you'll-find-out-soon-enough sort of way. After a moment or three the other two returned with something in their hands. They looked at each other, giggled (mermaids apparently did a lot of that) then held out something in their hands. They each had a sparkly, jewel encrusted shell. Even though they hadn't seen many shells before Bryan at least could imagine not many shells had a polished metallic shine or were covered with jewels. Just by looking at it he could tell they were enchanted.

He and Rachel took the shells presented to them. His was a scallop shell, Rachel's a spiral snail shell. Bryan didn't want to appear ungrateful but he certainly thought to himself a piece of mermaid jewelry wasn't much of a reward.

"Those are very special shells." One of the red-heads said with a sly smile.

"If you hold it close when you get in the water-"

"I want to tell them."

"You? Why you?"

"What makes you think you get to tell them the best part?"

"Well it was my idea."

"No it wasn't!"

"I suggested it first. You just agreed."

"I did not! I thought about it long before you said anything."

"Just tell us what they do!" Bryan snapped. He usually had an even temper and was normally very patient but all this senseless bickering got incredibly annoying real fast.

In fact, he was beginning to think he'd never have a blink of regret if he had died without ever meeting a real mermaid. So far they just talked and giggled a lot and seemed to be quite petty. The mermaids stopped, startled at the sharp command then looked down in shame. They glanced at each other, giving one another the ok to tell the big secret.

"If you keep the shell close to you when you get in the water you'll become a mermaid."

Bryan didn't bother looking at his sister. He knew her eyes must be sparkling with delight at that news and expected an ear-piercing squeal of joy any second. Surprisingly shrill giggles of happiness were not the first thing he heard.

"Is it permanent?" Rachel asked.

"Sadly no," The black-haired mermaid answered. "You'll get your legs back once you're out of water."

That was very relieving news. The last thing Bryan needed was to spend the rest of his life as part fish in a lagoon of Heartless and squabbling mermaids. He correctly guessed that now the mermaids would want them to try out their new treasures. The girls tugged at his shoe, insisting that he test the shells power to see just how amazing their gift really was. Rachel (not surprisingly) was eager to give it a try. The mermaids splashed back into the water, encouraging her to jump in.

"Ready?" Rachel asked with a smile.

"I guess." Bryan said. He knew that unless he bolted into the forest that second he wasn't getting out of this.

The mermaids splashed excitedly. On the count of three, they jumped in.

Bryan wasn't sure how far a person was supposed to sink when they dropped into a deep pool. It felt like he'd sunk straight to the bottom. The water wasn't icy, but still quite cold. He felt the need to breathe then panicked because he didn't know how to swim. Suddenly the water felt warm and comfortable. He felt strangely relaxed, like the water washed away all panic and tension. Bryan opened his eyes. To his surprise his vision was very clear underwater. He exhaled a stream of bubbles and without even thinking inhaled again. But nothing happened. Breathing water was as easy as breathing air.

"Oh my." The blonde mermaid with the white lei held her hands to the side of her face. She inched closer and batted her eye lashes.

Actually all the mermaids were looking at him like that, batting their eyes, sighing gently and primping their hair. Under any other circumstance, being eyed by a lady that way would be very flattering. But there was something about these mermaids that made him feel oddly uncomfortable. Finally Bryan looked down at himself and stared, processing what he was seeing.

For some reason his shirt hadn't survived the transformation. His immediate thought upon processing this information was hoping there would be a reverse effect when he got back out of the water. The only thing clothing-wise he still had was the belt that held his item pouch and where he'd put the shell. From hip-level down, flesh gently blended with smooth blue skin. Although he'd never seen a dolphin before that was what his tail was shaped like. He'd find out in a minute he even had a tiny dorsal fin in the small of his back.

"This is amazing!" Rachel couldn't hold her squeal in any longer.

Bryan glanced over to her to see how she looked as a mermaid. Then he thought that might not have been the wisest move. His clothes hadn't made the transformation maybe hers hadn't either. Then again, he doubted she would sound so happy if that were the case. Fortunately (for the both of them) that wasn't the case at all.

Rachel spun around in happy circles, allowing her hair to gently flow around her face. Her tail was the same lavender as her outfit had been and the fin also the same blue as the accents on her clothes. Her top looked no different than normal except it was cut off above the waist and had no sleeves. Like him, her belt stayed the same with her item pouch.

"This is fantastic! Thank you all so much!"

After accepting her gratitude the mermaids paid virtually no attention to her at all. In fact, a few gave her jealous glances and cold stares. Perhaps that was because their tails were all identical in shape and color. Rachel's was purple with a blue, bell shaped, feathery fin.

"I'm gonna go explore." She announced. Although not really graceful, Rachel was getting the swing of swimming with a tail.

"I'll go with you!" Bryan said quickly. Maybe if he made it clear he wanted to be with his sister the mermaids might not want to come.

"Oh please don't go." The red-head with the ponytail said.

"You can stay here with us."

"We'll show you around."

"Please keep us safe in case those horrible monsters come back." The blonde with the pink flowers hugged his upper arm tight. Bryan felt his skin go clammy and a shudder work its way down his (now very much longer) spine. It was the first time he realized some of the mermaids were topless and their long hair was the only thing that kept them from being naked.

_Help me_! Bryan mouthed.

"Well I'm going to take off now! I'll see you in a while."

Never before had he hated his sister so much as he did right then. That smile she had. She knew she was leaving him to the wolves and she thought it was funny. He mouthed very clearly, _I am going to kill you!_ To which Rachel responded with a mocking good-bye blow kiss that dripped with insincerity before swimming away.

Giggling.


	7. Neverland: A Mermaids Wrath

Rachel hummed herself as she spun and twirled in the water. Everything felt right. She had been transformed into an honest to goodness magical mermaid. Most little girls read fairy tales and dreamt and prayed they could be a mermaid princess, a magical fairy or have their very own pet unicorn. Now she could check one off that list.

Rachel didn't give much thought to how Bryan was faring with his swimming (or his new girlfriends) but she was getting into the rhythm very well. Not yet as graceful as a true mermaid but she was more than ok with spending as much time in the water as needed to make that happen.

The lagoon was amazing. Beautiful from above, spectacular from below. The rocks were polished gray and white. It was a beautiful, like marble. Seaweeds danced slowly and gracefully on the sandy bottoms and on ledges of the stone. Rocks, corals and sea flowers looked like jewels scattered by the hands of some invisible giant. The bright sun from above sparkled and ripped against all surfaces like liquid diamond. Beyond the pool where they'd first met the mermaids there were only two places to go, out into the ocean and through an opening in the stone wall. As much as she would have loved to see the ocean, Rachel knew from reading the oceans were huge. And if it was big and full of amazing wonders it may take hours and hours to get back.

Through a short tunnel in the rock a huge cavern opened up. There were a few tall pillars throughout this massive underwater cave. In between the scattered pillars wide holes filtered light from above. It was as if huge holes had been drilled through the mountain above, lighting up this underwater heaven. With a refreshing surge of freedom Rachel laughed and swam as fast as she could through the cave. It was like flying. The water felt so right and natural she could hardly tell it was there. The wide spaces and rock walls echoed her laughter and cries of joy. It was the perfect place to sing. Which she took advantage of.

"_Do you know where to find buried treasure?_

_Do you know where to dig for gold?_

_You can search ev'ry land, over snow, over sand,_

_And get only burned and cold._

_But the world offers thousands of treasures,_

_If you know where to look for them._

_See the round yellow moon, that's a pirate's doubloon_

_And the sun's a fiery gem!"_

The acoustics in here were spectacular.

Smaller caves and pockets lined the walls. Most didn't go far. A few lovely stones, shells and useful items that had been washed in from the ocean found their way into Rachel's pouch. On the trail of more interesting treasures Rachel found herself traveling down another tunnel. This too opened up into another cave but this looked much different from the first one. It wasn't as tall as the first one but very wide. In the center of this large cavern a stone formation had been fitted with what looked like mirrors. In fact, the centerpiece looked like the dressing tables theatre actors had placed side to side in a circle. In front of each mirror a flat stone jutted out with an assortment of trinkets on it. On the outer rim of the cavern large shells or hollow stones were lined with some cushy material. Woven pieces of seaweed intertwined with seaflowers made makeshift curtains between each 'bed'. Rachel correctly assumed she'd discovered where the mermaids lived.

As Rachel circled the centerpiece, looking at all the trinkets on the desks she got a surprise. A sixth mermaid sat in front of her mirror and adjusted a lily pad with a pink flower on it on her head. She hadn't heard Rachel swim in and both were startled to see each other.

"Who are you?" she snapped, startled.

"Uh, Rachel. Sorry to surprise you. I was exploring and didn't know anyone was down here. What's your name?"

The mermaid studied her carefully. And not with very kind eyes, Rachel noted. That wasn't the first time she'd seen that look. Her sisters had also given her that kind of cold, jealous glare. Jealous of what?

"Myleena." She finally answered. "Why do you look like that?"

"Sorry?"

"Your hair is the color of damp soil and your tail is purple with a blue fin."

"Yes?"

"So how did you do it? How did you make yourself look so different? Was it a potion? A magic comb?"

"Um, my hair has always been this color and I don't know why my tail is purple. It just happened, I guess."

Myleena looked at Rachel strangely. "You were born with that hair color?" She confirmed.

"Yes. Why is that so strange? Surely you've seen a brunette before."

"Only on pirates and the lost boys. Mermaids only have gold, red and black hair." She added a tone of pride to the last part as she too had black hair. Still, she pursed her lips a little with a shadow of a scowl.

Little by little Rachel began to understand the problem the mermaids had with her. As far as she could tell, their only issue was that she was a girl. As this became more and more apparent, pieces of old fairy tales came to the forefront of her mind. She remembered a few stories where mermaids, although magical and extremely beautiful were selfish, vain and jealous at heart. They shamelessly used their wiles on human men either to drown them or make them fall hopelessly in love. Human women were of little interest to a mermaid unless she caught the attention of a man or possessed something the mermaid wanted. In this case it was physical appearance. All the mermaids had the same and shaped tails with limited hair colors. Why that was a big deal Rachel wasn't sure. She didn't think brown was anything to get uptight about until she realized it was just that she was different and Myleena never could be.

"I guess that would explain it then. I'm not a natural mermaid. Your sisters gave my brother and me these magic shells that could change us into merpeople as thanks fo-"

"Oh? A boy?" She interrupted with great interest. "Wait, that's why my sisters came through here so quickly a while ago? To give you those magic shells?"

"Yeah."

"But why would they give you such a precious treasure?" Myleena looked her over again for where she might be keeping the shell, perhaps meaning to take it back.

"We saved them from a huge swarm of Heartless earlier. After defeating them all your sisters insisted we be rewarded for saving a mermaid's lif-"

"You?" She sneered. "Ha! How could you possibly be able to fight off those creatures?"

"With a great abundance of talent and skill." Rachel defended.

The mermaid let out a shrill mocking laugh. Rachel scowled, not appreciating being mocked.

"And with this." Rachel extended her arm and called her Keyblade. She felt a great sense of satisfaction at the mermaid's startled recoil at the flash of light that accompanied the summoning of Moonlit Majesty. The jewels of the keyblade took on a particularly magnificent glimmer due to the ever moving diamond sunbeams from above.

Instantly Myleena's expression changed. There was sparkling awe and wonder in her eyes at the beauty of this shimmering item. But there was also something else. A glimmer of lust sparked in her eyes. Rachel could see that Myleena wanted it. Not that she could blame her. It was pretty amazing. Tentatively she reached out a hand to touch the violet orb. Rachel let her hold it. A decision she immediately regretted.

"It's so…I've never seen anything…I can't believe…it's just…" She was so astounded she couldn't form a complete sentence.

"I know what you mean. It really is-"

"I'll give you whatever you want for it!"

Myleena pushed the keyblade back into Rachel's arms and zipped to her place at the mirror. She pulled out a stone drawer beneath it.

"You can have all my favorite shells!" She opened a woven pouch full of shells of all shapes and colors.

"Oh they're nice b-"

"And my best comb!" She gave her a gold comb encrusted with tiny gems.

"I, uh-"

"Oh! Oh! What about my favorite decorative hair comb?" Myleena pulled out a small silver comb shaped like a seahorse with blue-jeweled eyes. She tucked it in Rachel's hair and tugged her in front of the mirror to see how pretty it was.

"It's very cute but-."

"What about my pearls?"

"Well, I-."

"And my jewels?"

"Don't take this the wrong way bu-."

Before she really knew what hit her Rachel found herself wearing what had to be every piece of jewelry Myleena owned. Myleena hummed daintily as she fussed with Rachel's hair, adjusted necklaces and straightened pearl circlets and jeweled tiaras. She was trying very hard to make sure Rachel would want all her trinkets and show just how pretty she could be if she just made one simple trade.

"I'm flattered, I really am." Rachel said. She was astounded by how heavy jewelry could be. "But I'm afraid there cannot be any trade."

Myleena looked positively horrified when Rachel started taking off all the jewelry.

"B-but you would look so lovely." Myleena protested. "Surely you could part with it if it meant having your own treasures."

"I'm not saying I don't like the idea of having frillies to decorate myself with. But I simply can't give up my keyblade…in every sense of the term." No kidding. A keyblade wouldn't stay with someone whom it didn't choose.

"M-maybe, maybe there's something else here you'd like. There might be a treasure map! Or a magic mirror!" She said, getting desperate.

"Myleena the keyblade is not a toy. It's a weapon for defeating Heartless and keeping people safe."

"But I'll take good care of it! I-I-I, maybe I could learn how to fight with it."

"You don't even know how to use it!"

"I don't care! It's beautiful and I want it! My sisters have never had anything so wonderful before! I'll be the best if I have that!"

"I'm sorry but it's mine and I'm not giving it up." Rachel said with a stern and-that's-final tone. She made her keyblade vanish, something she should have done from the beginning.

Myleena's whole body quivered with rage. Her hands shook. Her eyes narrowed and her face turned red and contorted in an ugly way. If it were possible to shed frustrated tears underwater she most certainly would have.

"IIIIIIIII…WAAAAAAANT….IIIIIIIIIIIITTTTT!" She shrieked. Her words reverberated across the stone walls. Even the water seemed to shake in fear at The Mermaids Rage.

Rachel was actually freaked out a bit by this. Most certainly she'd have to use her keyblade to keep Myleena at bay as she made her way back to the lagoon. She had no doubt she was not skilled enough yet to out-swim a mermaid. And judging by the blazing hellfire behind Myleena's eyes she was bent on getting her treasure one way or another.

Suddenly Rachel felt a haunting chill down her spine. It was as if the water around her had suddenly turned to ice, but only for a second. The cave went dark. Rachel called her Keyblade. A huge Heartless was coming down one of the tunnels of light from above. Once clear of the rocks, it unfurled itself, revealing its great girth. It had a very human torso with huge shoulders and massive muscles down its long arms. From the waist down it looked like a mermaids tail but with no fin at the end. On its head were two curled horns and narrow eyes. It had no ears or nose but a large mouth with long interlocking teeth. From its back fanned out two huge wings. But they looked a lot like very wide fins rather than feathers or bat wings. It extended a short-fingered hand in their direction then slowly at first, moved toward them.

Myleena screamed. As soon as the Heartless showed itself Rachel had Moonlit Majesty in her hand, the orb glowing yellow and ready to attack. But this thing was pretty big. Would she be able to defeat it by herself? The cave system ran deep. There would be no one to aid her if the battle became too much.

_Fight or flee? Fight or flee? Fight or flee? Get Bryan, then fight. For now, FLEE!_

She turned and discovered just how fast she could swim. The mermaid had a silent scream caught in her throat and was too petrified to move. It wasn't until Rachel grabbed Myleena's arm as she went by did she snap out of it. Shrieking she sped down the tunnel. The Devil Ray Heartless used its mighty fins like wings, giving it great distance on each downward stroke. Rachel turned and shot bolts of fire at it, hoping to slow it down. The blasts of boiling water hit it squarely in the chest. It stopped just long enough to flail in agony and rage then lunged forward.

Rachel tried every element she knew but each attack only slowed it down for a second and only made it angry. Worse yet, it was gaining. Myleena looked over her shoulder from time to time, saw how much closer the Heartless was getting and screamed. The Devil Ray reached out and swiped its claws at them. It hadn't reached them yet but Rachel could feel the water strongly displaced each time it tried to get them. Their tails had to be only feet away from its desperate claws.

Then, getting an odd stroke of brilliance, Rachel had an idea. She locked arms with Myleena and held on tight. Pointing her keyblade at the Devil Ray she yelled,

"Wind!"

But instead of allowing the gusts to encircle her, she directed them like a tornado right at the Heartless. It shook its head, more annoyed than injured and kept going. But a slowdown wasn't the idea. The force of the gust propelled them forward and they gained distance rapidly. Rachel couldn't help but laugh with delight. It was working so much better than she thought it would. Except in order to do this she was going backwards so she could direct the gust and had no idea what was behind her. This resulted in both her and Myleena getting pancaked against one of the stone pillars in the main cavern. Thankfully the distance they'd gained was more than enough to spare a minute blinking away the stars.

Once the blinky blinkies in front of her eyes were gone Rachel could see the exit. Myleena was already a tails-length ahead of her. Thankfully she was still screaming so by now the others were certainly aware by now that something was amiss. A little disoriented Rachel sped to the exit and pancaked herself against her brother as he came in to see what the problem was. Now they were both winded.

"What's with all the screaming?" Bryan huffed.

"That." Rachel pointed with her thumb over her shoulder as she tried to catch her breath for the second time.

His lack of a response let her know he had seen what she was talking about.

"You ready to fight this thing?"

"I will be. Just give me a minute and I'll join you."


	8. Neverland: Never again

Fighting underwater had been a challenge. Bryan hadn't had much time to get used to swimming because the mermaids insisted on one more story after another of his "heroic adventures". As a result from lack of practice his steering left much to be desired. Thankfully Rachel recovered quickly as she had a better equilibrium with no legs than he did. After much maniac bashing the Devil Ray finally went down. For the second time that day they'd been in an intense, exhausting fight. Bryan for one was ready to call it quits and go home.

"_Where_ did that thing come from?" Bryan asked at last.

"_It's __**her**__ fault_!" Myleena shrieked through fake, dry sobs, pointing dangerously at Rachel. "Sh-she sent that-that-that _**thing**_ after me. I-I wasn't doing an-an-an-anything a-an-and-"

"_Excuse me_?" Rachel snapped defensively. "You were the one who turned into a raging sea hag because I wouldn't trade you my keyblade."

Myleena looked like she'd been slapped in the face with a dead cat after being called a 'raging sea hag'.

"She wanted your keyblade?" Bryan asked. Ignoring the mermaids look of horror completely.

He wasn't even going to hear the entire story. One, because at this point he really didn't care and two he knew Rachel couldn't control Heartless. In fact when Rachel brushed it off as a "long story" he felt no need to press the matter further. These mermaids were driving him crazy. All the pawing and fawning and giggling and the starry-eyed stares and the constant shallow bickering as they fought it out amongst themselves who they thought he clearly liked the best were making him see red. He concluded a short while ago that he hated mermaids. Worse yet he had to be the one to make sure a catfight didn't ensue from the 'raging hag' comment. It was clear Rachel had fallen out of any good graces with the mermaids but she didn't seem to care at this point either.

Enduring icy glares that he was taking his sisters side and whiny begs and pleads not to go Bryan finally announced the field trip was over. Mustering up the last but of hospitality he had he thanked them again for the shells, reminded them to be wary of Heartless and pulled himself out of the water.

The transformation was immediate. Bryan barely realized it happened. They were back to normal clothes, gear and all. Only downside they were soaking wet looking as though they had just fallen in. He trudged back up the hill without looking back. He was wet, uncomfortable and irritated. Never in his life had Bryan imagined being fawned over could be so aggravating. Maybe it was because on some level he knew the mermaids were insincere with their adoration and threw themselves at him as a contest to see whom could win the humans affections.

"That wasn't near as much fun as I was hoping it would be." Rachel finally said when they were a distance away.

"Understatement of the year." He answered sharply.

"Hold on." Rachel held up her keyblade and surrounded them with Aeroa until they were dry.

"Thanks," Bryan said, feeling a bit better.

A few minutes later.

"So what was it about that big Heartless anyway?" Bryan asked when he didn't feel so irritated at the very thought of mermaids.

"The mermaid with the black hair and the lily pad, her name was Myleena. I showed her my keyblade and she went all evil-eyes crazy greedy for it. She offered me every bit of sparkle she owned in exchange for it. When I said no she went all spoiled-child-tantrum-crazy. I think it was the sudden wave of greed and jealousy in her Heart that drew the Heartless in."

Bryan nodded.

"I don't think it needs saying, but let's _**never**_ go back there." He said.

"Agreed."

Bryan was grateful she didn't ask how his adventure went. He planned on telling her, but not today.

"So no Keyhole at Mermaid Lagoon." She said off-handidly Rachel stretched, then admired her magic shell for a moment before putting it back in her pouch. "I hope these things work on other worlds."

"Yeah, that'd be cool."

A few more minutes passed in silence.

"What do you say we find something to eat then go back to Hangman's Tree?" Rachel suggested.

Bryan hadn't even realized until she mentioned food that he was actually really hungry.

"That has got to be the best idea I've heard today."


	9. Neverland: Meeting Tinker Bell

The next day

Wet grass sparkled in the first rays of sunlight. Songbirds began to awaken and bless the world with their voices. Early morning fog slowly rose above the trees and faded into the new day. And Heartless scurried through the undergrowth. As the world slept in the early hours of the dawn the creatures of darkness silently searched.

Safe within the depths of Hangman's tree, gentle snores fluttered around a dozen slumbering occupants. Rachel was the first to wake. Slowly and lazily she stretched herself out like a cat and glanced around the room. The lost boys were fast asleep in their hammocks and nest beds. Tootles had wrapped his tail around him like a blanket and quietly sucked his thumb. All that could be seen of the twins were their raccoon tails hanging over their hammock. John lay sprawled across a cot. Nibs, Slightly and Cubby were out cold in a dog pile on the other side of the room. None of the positions they had ended up in looked at all healthy for the spine. Wendy and Michael shared the large bed. Peter Pan however was nowhere to be seen. Everyone had wanted to know where they wandered off to. Wendy seemed to have the same opinions about mermaids as the key bearers did. Neither of them shared about the magic shells for fear everyone would want to try it.

Rachel curled herself back around her pillow. Just a few more minutes. She'd wake up her brother, find something to eat then and use as much daylight as they could to find the keyhole. Rachel closed her eyes, enjoying the calm of the morning. After a moment or two something broke the calm.

She opened her eyes, looking around as best she could without getting up. Nothing looked out of the ordinary and no one else was awake but something was still different. After another minute Rachel figured out the difference. It wasn't anything she was seeing but something she was hearing. It was a gentle tinkling coming from somewhere in the room. It sounded like the laughter of a crystal wind chime in a spring breeze. She sat up, concentrating on where it was coming from. A sparkle of light caught her eye. Rachel stared at the spot on the wall where she saw the light. It twinkled again but didn't disappear. Understandably curious, Rachel got up to see what it was. As she got closer the light flickered a little but didn't disappear. What it was astounded her.

A fairy. A real fairy! Maybe fairies would be nicer than mermaids. Cautiously she got closer to the fairy's hiding place on the shelf, worried she might scare it off.

"Hello," Rachel whispered, not wanting to wake anyone. "Do you live here too?"

The pixie nodded.

Gently Rachel extended her hand to the fairy, inviting her to come closer. The pixie hesitated a moment, looking around before accepting the invitation and landing delicately on Rachel's hand with more grace than a butterfly.

"My, aren't you lovely."

The pixie touched up her blonde hair, smoothed out her dainty green dress and did a full-circle spin.

"Do you have a name? I'm Rachel."

The fairy's lips moved but all that came out was that crystal chime sound.

"Sorry, I can't understand you."

After a few more tries Rachel was able to read lips well enough to correctly guess the pixie's name was Tinker Bell. After the introductions Tinker Bell started talking very quickly and made very dramatic motions with her arms. The young key bearer had no idea what the pixie was trying to say. All she could hear were jingling bells. But whatever the specifics, the message was apparently important. A suggestion of urgency was added when Tinker Bell grabbed the end of one of Rachel's fingers and tried to pull her along with surprising strength.

"Just a minute," Rachel said. "Let me get my brother up to help."

The pixie nodded but didn't wait for her to wake Bryan. She took matters into her own tiny hands. With rough jangles in his ear and tugging on his hair, Bryan startled awake, swatting at the air as though trying to hit a large fly. Tinker Bell chimed a laugh, looked around to make sure no one else had heard her then flittered back to hide on Rachel's shoulder.

"What was that?" Bryan asked, voice groggy, rubbing a hand hard into his eyes to force himself awake.

"Meet me up top, we have somewhere to be."

Rachel climbed up through the tunnel, pixie leading the way. She stretched once she was outside and waited. Hopefully Bryan hadn't fallen back asleep. Tinker Bell flitted around the tree, looking for something. At least that's what it looked like she was doing. If she were talking Rachel couldn't understand it.

"What are we doing so early?" Bryan had come up the tunnel, his eyes still a bit glazed over from not having ample time to wake up on his own.

"We have somewhere to be I guess."

"You guess?"

"Tinker Bell wants to take us somewhere."

"Who?"

The sparkling fairy flittered in front of him, chiming a greeting and blinding him with glowing pixie dust.

"Whoa! Who, er, what is that?"

"Like I said, her name is Tinker Bell."

Bryan still had a hand protectively in front of his face as though shielding himself from a wasp. He wasn't afraid of her but her sudden appearance and proximity was startling.

"Oooookay, but what does she want?"

"I'm not sure. It seems she can talk but all I can hear are bell chimes. But I was able to figure out she wants us to follow her somewhere. I don't know for what yet."

Bryan didn't get a chance to respond before Rachel took off after Tinker Bell.


	10. Neverland: Pixie Hollow

The leaf-clad pixie stopped on a ledge overlooking a deep valley. Sparkling cerulean streams glistened throughout. Lush emerald grass carpeted this haven. Somehow everything looked brighter in this place. In the center of this gorgeous forest a beautiful tree stood tall and seemed to emit its own radiance. It could be seen even from a distance. The area was not easy to get to.

"Wow! Is this still Neverland? It's beautiful!" Rachel said.

Tinker Bell spun around in a shower of gold dust, making a particularly sweet chime as she did so. Whatever she said must have been said with great pride.

"So what we're needed for is down there." Bryan said.

Tinker Bell nodded.

"Let's go then." Rachel and her brother were about to start climbing down the ledge to the valley when Tinker Bell flittered in Rachel's face to stop her. She made stopping motions and slightly harsher bell noises.

"I have no idea what this fairy's saying." Bryan said dryly. Aparently he wasn't completely sold yet on fairies. That would probably continue until he received confirmation fairies were nothing like mermaids.

Tinker Bell kept making elaborate hand motions and spoke very quickly. The best Rachel could figure, she wanted them to stay put. But asking why wouldn't do any good obviously because they didn't understand twinkles. Tinker Bell made one last gesture for the two of them to sit then flew off. Shrugging, Bryan did just that.

"Does that make sense? She takes us all the way over here then leaves?"

"That was probably a 'I'll be back' message." Rachel said.

Indeed it was. A short time later Tinker Bell returned with a small pouch in her hands. She pointed at it and chimed excitedly. Rachel peered at it. It sparkled blue. But all she could do was look at the pixie, waiting for an answer to why this trip and blue sparkles were so important. Tinker Bell fluttered in front of Bryan, gesturing for him to stand up. On is feet, Bryan looked between the pixie and his sister, hoping for one of them to give some kind of clue as to what this was all about.

Tinker Bell smiled and flew in circles around the two. Handful by handful she showered the siblings in the sparkling blue dust. At first nothing happened. The dust shower was just pretty. Then suddenly the world began to look different. A split second later everything got really big. Very surprised Rachel and Bryan looked around. They had shrunk!

"It worked!" A joyous voice above them cried. "I can't believe it! It really worked!"

Rachel looked up. Tinker Bell flew down to them. She could be understood now.

"You _can_ talk. But what happened? What did you do? Why are we so small?"

"I used blue pixie dust to make you small. And I'm so glad it actually worked. I don't think anyone has used the blue pixie dust for making humans shrink before." Tinker Bell said. "I'm glad you can understand me now. Big people can't hear pixies talking." She giggled.

"Yeah that's nice." Bryan said, none too thrilled with being suddenly four inches tall. "But mind telling us _why_ you shrunk us?"

"Yeah, sorry about that." Tinker Bell said. "I know it must be a surprise but I reeeeeealy need your help. I would have told you ahead of time but, like I said, big people can't understand pixies.

Let me explain. This is Pixie Hollow, my home. I've been watching you fight those nasty creatures. I haven't seen things like that in _forever_ but they didn't come as far as Pixie Hollow before. It seems you two are the only ones who can fight them. And they've made their way here too. Even our fairy magic has limited effects on those things. I need your help to keep my home and friends safe. Worse still, those things have been meddling with the Pixie Dust tree. If the tree is damaged, no more magical pixie dust will flow and no fairy will be able to fly ever again."

"Wow." Rachel said. That was a lot to take in. "That's some of the best nutshell-ing I've ever heard."

Tinker Bell smiled, hopeful. "So you'll help us, right?"

"Of course." Rachel said. "Right?" She looked to her brother.

"Well we're already here." Bryan answered. "And if there's Heartless then it's our job to help out."

"Horray!" Tinker Bell did several flips in midair.

"But we're not the only ones who can fight Heartless." Bryan said. "Peter Pan can fight them too. He lives here so why didn't you ask him first?"

Tinker Bell stiffened and went a strange shade of red. "I'm never talking to Peter again." She said with an unpleasant growl. And Rachel was sure she heard an odd twinge of jealousy in her tone. But when she inquired about it, Tinker Bell avoided the question.

"There's just one other problem, Tinker Bell…" Bryan began.

"Oh please, call me Tink." She said, her mood changing as quickly as the topic.

"Ok, Tink. How are we supposed to get all the way over there now that we're so tiny? That will take all day."

"Oh…um. Well, I couldn't have you go there normal-sized. Humans aren't allowed at Pixie Hollow. Even the Lost Boys don't know where this is and they _live_ in Neverland!"

"So we shouldn't even be here?" Bryan raised an eyebrow.

"Well, um, _technically_? No. But Pixie Hollow needs help. I'm sure queen Clarion will understand if she finds out. But just in case, we'd better keep your being here a secret. Except to my other pixie friends of course."

"Ok, fine, but how are we-"

"We get to meet other fairies!?" Rachel interrupted, excited.

Tink nodded. "We'll need to get you into some sort of disguise though. Those clothes aren't exactly what a pixie would wear and you'll need to keep a low profile."

"But what about flying? Don't you think someone will notice two new 'fairies' that have no wings? Unless," Rachel said hopeful, "Is there a way your blue dust can make that happen?" Become a mermaid princess, check. Become a magical fairy, check? Now all she needed was a pet unicorn.

"Sadly, no." Tink said. "I don't think there is such magic that can give a human fairy wings. But," She added with a sly grin. "Pixie dust can make anything fly."

Rachel just about came unglued when she heard that.

"What are we waiting for!" She said in an excited, squeaky voice. "Let's do it! Let's do it!"

Tinker Bell smiled brightly. She flitted her wings and her sparkles shined brighter. "All you have to do is believe and hold on to a happy thought."

She flew in tight circles around the keyblade wielders. As the glittering dust landed on them Rachel and her brother the two began to gently float. Rachel's smile was nearly as bright as the pixie dust. After taking a few minutes to get the hang of flying, even Bryan couldn't help but smile at this amazing new gift. Once they were ready, Tinker Bell led the pair to her home in the trench where the Tinker Fairies lived. In her house Tink had planned ahead and brought a pile of assorted clothes. After getting dressed into more fairy-acceptable attire, Tink helped each of them pin on pretty petals to their clothes to look like wings. If anyone were to ask, Rachel and Bryan were to say they were fairies from the Mainland. That was why their wings were different and they had the keyblades. But with any luck only Tink's closest friends would be the ones any of them would have the most contact with.

"Ok, looks like the coast is clear." Tinker Bell looked outside her door to make sure there weren't many other fairies around. "Follow me."

Rachel found it hard to follow Tinker Bell because there were so many things to look at. Fairies sat at different stations crafting trinkets out of all sorts of natural items. Acorn caps became lids for teapots. Tiny stones were tied to sticks to make hammers. Rachel desperately wanted a closer look but there were Heartless to take care of first. The fairies seemed to be on edge as they worked. And there were some patrolling the area with hammers or cockleburs at the ends of sticks like maces. Apparently the Heartless were a problem regardless of location.

"C'mon c'mon c'mon!" Tink urged. "Almost there." She dove behind a thick patch of flowers. Rachel and Bryan followed.

"So what are we hiding from?" But the question barely slipped off Bryan's lips before realizing he'd asked the wrong question.

Tink stood amongst a small group of fairies. Some looked nervous. Others, hopeful.

"Ok everyone! These are the ones I told you about. This is Rachel, and her brother Bryan. They can make those scary shadow monsters disappear."

Instantly the heroes were swarmed by the fairy friends and heard all their stories of how they were Pixie Hollow's last hope.

For pixies, each one of them had a certain talent. Animal fairies like Fawn taught baby birds to fly and gathered food for creatures coming out of hibernation. Light fairies like Iridessa lit up fireflies and made rainbows. Very few of the fairy talents had even the slightest effect on the Heartless. Animal fairies could barely keep the creatures and insects under control. Everything was so scared of the Heartless. Flowers refused to open out of fear. Not even the Garden fairies could coax them open. Wind fairies could blow them away for a while but didn't do any real damage. Same with Water fairies. Blasts of water deterred them but not for long. The only ones who had the most effect were the Light fairies. But even though light kept the darkness at bay, darkness thrives in the shadows of the light.

"So where do you want us to go first and how do we get there?" Bryan asked after each of them had a turn to introduce themselves and share their grievances.

"We need to clear out the forest first." The fairy with a very long ponytail named Fawn said. "The little animals are just terrified."

"No, no, sweet pea. The meadows need attention first." Rosetta said, nervously fiddling between a lock of her red hair and the edges of her rosy skirt. "If we can't get things to grow how will we prepare to change winter into spring on the mainland?"

"What abou' us down in Tinkers Nook?" A skinny fairy with wild hair and big-eyed goggles said. His name was Bauble.

"Tha's righ'. Those creatures are making a righ' mess out of our workshops. We can't get any work done to help anyone." A big fairy named Clank agreed.

"Couldn't you two split up and cover twice as much to get the job done faster?" A fairy in a blue dress named Silvermist suggested.

"I don't think that's the best approach." Bryan said, unsure.

Rachel nodded. The two of them always fought side by side. They were under the impression that because their keyblades were actually one key split in two it may lose some of its power if taken away from its other half. They had not yet tested that theory and now didn't seem the appropriate time. Especially if that's exactly what would happen. IF this was as bad a crisis as the pixies were making it out to be now was not the time to be running on half power. And anyway, both of them played off each other in battle. They didn't need to get thrown off by going solo after being so used to fighting with a partner.

A sharp whistle halted the squabbling over what place needed the most attention. A boy fairy with short blonde hair and an acorn cap as a hat had broken up the bickering.

"Don't you think the Pixie Dust Tree should be our first and only priority?" He said sharply. "Everyone is scared and on edge but no fairy of any talent is more important than the others. I've seen a lot of those things getting closer and closer to the Tree by the day. If the Tree is what they're after, do I need to remind you all what is going to happen if they harm it?"

The other fairies nodded in agreement or shuffled their feet, guilty for being selfish.

"Terrance is right." Tink said. "We have to get them to the tree."

A dark-skinned fairy in a yellow dress groaned nervously and kept twitching about. "Ohhh, I know it's important but…"

"Seriously, Iridessa?" The fairy called Vidia said crossly. "We're in a crisis situation. _What_ could be so important?"

"Well, it's just that, um. You see, the closer we get to the Tree, that's where Queen Clarion lives, right? IF she sees them she'll be able to tell their wings aren't real. Right? Then she'll know they're not real fairies. And she'll know they must be humans. But humans aren't tiny. So then she'll know someone must have stolen the blue pixie dust to make a human small. And that's a reeeeealy big no no. This would have to go smoother than paint on a lady bug shell for her not to get mad."

"Come on, Iridessa!" Tink said. "Look at the bigger picture here."

But Terrance shifted, uneasy. Come to find out he was a Dust Keeper fairy and had the best access to the blue dust. Blue dust was very rare and valuable to the Pixie Dust Tree and was not allowed to be used for anything else. If this didn't work out as well as hoped, it was his neck on the line for stealing the blue dust. It wouldn't matter if it had been Tinker Bells idea or not.

"Alright then," Rachel said. "We'll go to this tree. Is there anything else we need to know?"

"Well," Vidia said thoughtfully. "I've noticed there's a bit of a pattern to the shadow monsters movements. Being a fast flying fairy I'm in the air a lot because of all my important jobs."

"Oh honestly, Vidia." Rosetta said, hands on hips. "Stop fluffin' up your ego and just tell them."

Vidia rolled her eyes. "Fine. At first the things showed up in large numbers in different regions of Pixie Hollow, going in like a badly shaped spiral, all circling the Pixie Dust Tree."

"Now that I think about it," Terrance said thoughtfully. "It might have been just my imagination but those creatures seemed to be looking for something around the tree."

"Looking for something?" Bryan repeated, eyebrows raised.

Terrance nodded.

Rachel looked at her brother. If that were true, could that 'something' be the Keyhole? If the Pixie Dust Tree were that important and had that much magic, it would make sense that focal point of power would be the location of the Keyhole.

"So how do we get there? What is the least exposed way?" Bryan asked. Like his sister, he suspected they would find the Keyhole at the Tree.

"We could go back to Tinkers Nook and hye dem in a basket or a wag'n an' sneak 'em there." Clank said.

"That's a great idea." Silvermist said.

"Or they could hide in a cluster of flowers. We could say we're making the council room look pretty." Rosetta suggested.

"That could work too." Silvermist agreed.

"Maybe I could create a huge gust of wind that could push us there really fast before anyone notices their wings aren't real." Vidia said thoughtfully.

"That's an even better idea." Silvermist agreed again.

"Sil!" Fawn scolded.

"What? They were all really good ideas."

"Stop being such a flip-flopper. And good ideas are not helpful if we can't decide."

"Forget it!" Rachel said. "We'll just start walking slash flying. Bryan and I will stay low and take care of any Heartless that show up. The rest of you will stay close to keep us clear of too many other fairies."

"And those of you whose powers have even the slightest effect on the Heartless stay even closer." Bryan added. They still had a ways to go and would need all their strength if they were going to jump into the heart of a swarm. No doubt if the Heartless could sense they were getting close to the Keyhole, they would very likely be stronger. And if they were as tough or tougher than that Devil Ray thing from the day before they'd need all the help they could get.

"But what if-" Iridessa began.

"We'll cross bridges when we get to them." Rachel said, cutting her off.

They'd spent enough time talking. Rachel found it strange the aura of hesitation around several of the fairies even though this was an important task. Besides, flying was fun! Less talk more action.

Vidia, Tinker Bell, Terrance and Bauble flew the highest, staying in a protective square around everyone. They would be the ones to alert of any far off danger. Rachel and Bryan flew among the others much lower to the ground. If anyone were to see them, they would just look like a group of friends all going somewhere together.

There was a stream that passed right by the Pixie dust tree. It created a natural path that beat trudging or weaving through a jungle of grass. Suddenly something large and black leapt from the water, catching Fawn by the foot. Fawn screamed as it brought her down. Instantly everyone was in a panic.

"Somebody pull her out!"

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!"

"Let her go you ugly thing!"

The Heartless looked like a skeletal catfish with blank eyes and a huge mouth. It floated at the surface with Fawns foot still in its mouth, but it wasn't doing anything. Even though Fawn was thrashing in the water trying to free herself and swim away the Heartless did nothing. Perhaps this one was a bit dim and didn't know what it was supposed to do with a captured heart.

Bryan swooped down and bashed the fish hard on the head. It grunted and flicked its whiskers upwards to see what hit it. He slashed again and again but the Heartless didn't seem to feel it. Hitting the back of its head felt like smashing a brick wall (and was just about as productive). The bashing did make it open its mouth just enough for Fawn to jerk her foot loose. Finally realizing it once had a catch and now didn't the Heartless began to submerge as if nothing had happen.

"Oh no you don't!" Rachel yelled at it, making a sharp dive.

"Wait! Don't'!" Bauble yelled. "You'll never make that dive!"

"Fairies can't fly with wet wings!" Clank finished.

"My wings aren't even real!"

"Oh, righ'. Be careful! Pixie dust might wash off!" Clank said.

"Silvermist!" Bryan called to her. These fairies certainly did talk a lot. "Shoot this thing out of the water!"

"Oh? Right! I'm on it." Silvermist dove to the water then came out of the dive last second, throwing her arms out in front of her. Like a small geyser a pillar of water jetted up, pushing the Heartless with it. The dopy Heartless flopped on top of the spout, unable to wriggle off.

Rachel flew on the other side of the Heartless from her brother. She looked directly at him, held her Keyblade out and the orb crackled with yellow light. Bryan nodded, understanding the silent suggestion.

"Ok," He instructed. "Let go."

Silvermist stopped the flow. The water splashed down, leaving the Heartless in midair for a moment. Not wasting any time,

"Thunder!"

Electricity snapped and popped against the drops of water in the air around the Heartless, forming an orb of sparks. The Heartless could barely wriggle or writhe before it vanished in a puff of darkness. Like most intense or panic induced fights, the battle didn't last near as long as it felt. Fawn was all right. Her ankle was red and a little swollen but luckily for her the Heartless wasn't too bright. But with wet wings she couldn't fly.

Not wanting to leave her behind unable to get away should a Heartless show up, Rachel and Bryan proceeded following the river on foot. The rest of the fairies stayed in their watch cloud above except for Rosetta and Tink who stayed close to Fawn.

Similar battles happened sporadically on the trek to the Tree. Sometimes a large single Heartless and others hoards of Shadows and Darter Imps. Thankfully in a land of tiny people the Heartless also were matched in size. New Heartless began appearing the nearer to the Tree the assembly got. Some looked like spiny snakes. Others, angry wasps with huge stings on all their limbs. Some looked like flora that favored long range attacks and took a lot of energy chasing down. As expected, the opponents became stronger and more numerous the closer they got. But this only confirmed their suspicions. If the Heartless were around like this, that could only mean they must be near their quarry. And that couldn't happen.

The fairies helped out whenever they could, even if 'helping' meant throwing acorns or berries giving the Heartless something else to look at. Vidia enjoyed putting her talent to use when on multiple occasions helped Rachel and Bryan scoop up Heartless in whirling mini-tornadoes, making them much easier to zap with magic. One battle, the three of them swooped up the Heartless in a tight cyclone and Iridessa pushed an intense sunbeam right over top of them. The creatures of darkness didn't last more than a few seconds under the pure light.


	11. Neverland: Prepare for Trouble

"Oh dear me, I don't know how much more of this I can take." Rosetta sighed, fanning herself with her hand. The group rested on a large mushroom just a stone's throw away from the tree.

"My nerves are jus' abou' done fo'." Clank agreed.

"Oh aye." Bauble said, catching his breath. "Why couldn't they give some kind of warnin' befo' they jus' spring out at ye?"

"They do." Bryan said. He used Aeroa lightly to make a breeze to cool them off. Rachel aided with Blizzardra to keep the wind cold. "Heartless make a sound as they materialize."

"And neither of you thought to share that nugget of wisdom?" Vidia said a little rudely. She and Terrance hovered several feet above everyone to keep an eye out for more Heatless.

"I doubt it would help." Rachel said.

"She's right." Bryan said. "We know what it sounds like only because we encounter them so often. And we have to always be on guard for them."

A moment passed in silence. Bryan took his boot off and massaged the heel of his foot. Although he had been flying for most of the trip, fighting still had to be done on foot. Rosetta saw his look of discomfort.

"Oh dearie me. Are you alrigh'?"

"Yeah," Bryan said. "It's just a lot happening all at once."

"Maybe we can come back tomorrow. Y'know, once you've had a chance to rest." Iridessa said, her voice quaking with worry. Then again, maybe not _worry_. But she clearly wanted to be doing anything else than be in the eye of the storm.

"No need. I'll take care of it." Rachel held her keyblade up. In a flash of misty green light sparkling bells and flowers hovered and twinkled over the two of them.

It was like getting a breath of fresh air after being cooped up in a windowless house on a summers day. Everything felt better. Now hopefully they wouldn't have to use Heal too much. This was partly because no one liked getting hit, partly because using it too many times in succession made its effectiveness slowly dwindled.

A panicked scream from high above startled everyone.

"The Tree!" Terrence exclaimed. "They're here!"

Instantly Bryan and Rachel were on their feet.

"I guess this is it." Rachel said, rolling her shoulders, ready for the imminent fight.

"All of you stay here." Bryan ordered the fairies. "This is likely to get rough and none of you need to risk getting hurt."

This was of course met with a wave of protests. The pixies insisted they came along too. They didn't come this far to be left behind. And they refused to let new friends face this challenge alone, especially when they were putting themselves in danger on their behalf. Bryan could tell immediately no amount of talking or scolding was going to make any of them stay behind. Even Iridessa, the troop scardy-cat was resolved to see it through.

"Alright then. Let's go."


	12. Neverland: Nature's End

Within the center of the tree the branches laid flat and came together in a spiral. Mushrooms grew like little shelves on the branches as they angled themselves upward. The bark was unnaturally smooth with deep veins that twisted and danced around each branch as it reached outward. Many of the fairies in the group screamed or gasped at the sight of the clearing.

"The dust reservoir!" Terrance shouted, going very pale. "It's gone!"

"What happened to all the pixie dust!" Silvermist cried, hysterical.

"Even the flo' from above as stopped!" Clank pointed upward.

Everyone looked to the direction he was pointing. On a much higher branch they could see the undersides of three flat fungi of some kind. They were layered like the stones of a fountain. The one at the bottom had a groove in it, like a spout where something would flow from.

"It has to be up there!" Tinker Bell cried. "Come on everyone! Wings up! We have to save the tree!"

Like a swarm of angry bees the group zoomed upward to the branch. On the large branch another one of those strange fungi grew. But this one was much bigger. It looked like wide bowl only flat across instead of concave. This place, they would learn later was the place where all new fairies were born.

Apparently, when a baby laughs for the first time, the laugh embodies a seed or something and that seed is whisked away to Pixie Hollow. After it is given its first sprinkle of magical pixie dust, the life inside becomes a fairy. On this stage-like mushroom is where he or she is greeted by all the fairies of Pixie Hollow and where he or she learns what their true talent is. Sadly, this magnificent place did not look that magical now.

From a small nook in the tree branch above the pixie dust flowed. It filled up a beautiful pink and white flower then cascaded its radiance below. Each speck looked like a tiny splash of summer sunshine. It glittered like the frost on a cool morning. It glowed like the eyes of a woman in love. And in the midst of this beauty stood the Heartless.

The nook where the dust flowed from to the mushroom stage below had to be about a foot and a half high. The Heartless was standing on the mushroom and swallowed the dust as it fell. Their second day of saving the worlds and this was their biggest Heartless yet (at least in terms of proportion). When you're only four inches tall, eighteen inches is quite massive. This also had to be the oddest Heartless they had seen.

Its face looked like a caricature of a human, with a hooked, beak-like nose, very long pointed ears and extremely elongated chin. It had a very orb-like, semi-see-through torso and very long, twiggy arms with tiny palms and massive claws. It also had the forewings of a large butterfly and the hind wings of a dragonfly. The bottom part of its body was like the bottom of an hourglass and was filled with the pixie dust. Neither its head, torso or lower body was connected by any visible means and sort've hovered a few inches between the other pieces. It had its mouth open wide in the path of the falling dust and the dust reappeared in the hourglass part of its body.

Dozens of fairies were trying to make it stop but to no effect. Its wings were down, a sign that it was relaxed and found the screaming pixies to be of no threat. Besides, lots of other punier Heartless were jumping all over the place causing their own grief.

"Get everyone else out of here!" Bryan ordered. "With this many people and so many Heartless there's no way we'll be able to keep everyone safe."

"On it!" Bauble saluted. He, Clank, Fawn and Rosetta went off to complete the task.

"Vidia! Iridessa! Silvermist!" Rachel called. "Get as many fairies of your talent as you can. Use your winds to gather all the little ones together then all the Water and Light fairies blast them with water and light beams. We'll take care of the leader."

They nodded and sped off. Tinker Bell and Terrence flew over with huge cockleburs tied to long sticks.

"We're ready to help." Tinker Bell said.

"Oh no you're not," Bryan said. "You wouldn't last a minute against that thing."

"This is our home," Terrence countered. "The Tree holds the key to our way of life. We have every right to defend it."

A blind man could have seen neither of them were going to budge on the matter so Bryan didn't press.

"Just help out with the smaller ones before helping us, okay?"

"Got it. Good lu-"

"THE QUEEN!" Someone shrieked.

A fairy Rosetta was trying to make evacuate was pointing at the Heartless, horrified.

"What?" Rosetta asked, confused and scared.

"That monster has Queen Clarion!"

Neither Bryan or Rachel could see what the pixie was talking about. The hourglass appeared to only have dust in it and it was using both of its hands to support itself against the tree as it gulped more dust. Rachel blasted a fireball at it to try and get its attention. The flames lost power before they made contact but the heat wave was enough to make the Heartless turn to see what had disturbed it. Inside the orb of its torso something bright and glowing was trying to get out.

"No more waiting." Bryan told his sister. Who knew what kind of power that thing was getting from all that fairy magic. Rachel nodded. They both glided as fast as they could to the Heartless.

The Nature's End Heartless had gone back to its task and didn't see them coming. Bryan spun rapidly then threw the Bass Blade as hard as he could at it. The key spun like a saw blade and struck the Heartless hard on the back of the head before sailing back to its master. Nature's End shook its whole body in growling protest. As it turned it received an icy blast right in the face. Now they had its full attention. And it was angry. It flared its wings like a bull elephant about to charge. Now things were going to get ugly.

Bryan dove at it first. As expected, it swung widely at him with both claws. Both swipes missed but it gave Rachel a chance to dive low and nail several hard hits. This continued successfully for a while. One would distract while the other struck. But Nature's End eventually figured them out. It feigned going after Bryan and back-handed Rachel as she went in for the attack. After recovering from the spinout, it was time to change tactics.

The Heartless had the same idea. It beat its huge wings and started flying in a wide circle.

"We need to keep that thing grounded!" Bryan yelled. "This will take forever if we can't get that thing to stop moving."

"Attack the wings!" Rachel yelled back. "I'll go at it from the front."

Two figures zoomed passed. It was Tinker Bell and Terrence. The weaker Heartless had been cleared away and they had come back to honor the agreement.

"You heard her, Terrence! Go after the wings!"

Bryan got to work damaging the wings. First he tried with Ice then with Fire, each followed up with a series of brutal blows. Tink and Terrence hit it hard with their pricker maces. They swung hard. Even the tiniest scratch moved them closer to rendering the Heartless flightless. But they all had to watch out. Those wings weren't like soft, delicate butterfly wings, no. The wings of Nature's End were hard and not only created a significant gust with each flap, but also felt like getting bashed with a piece of wood if hit.

Rachel stayed as close to its face as she could, blinding it with Fire and Thunder. The Heartless had a hard time maneuvering its long arms so close to its own head without scratching itself by accident. The attacks were having a clear effect. It faltered as it flew and couldn't figure out whom to attack, the pesky bugs from behind making it hard to fly or the buzzy one up in its face.

Suddenly it flailed its arms hysterically and beat its injured wings so hard everyone was pushed away by the force of the blast. After everyone had righted themselves, they were horrified to see what happened next.

Nature's End was drawing Pixie Dust from its hourglass body. The fine dust trailed upward in its body. It glowed gold for a moment and to everyone's horror was completely healed. The damage marks on its wings were gone and it moved with new energy.

"No!" Tinker Bell screamed. "After all our hard work it's just-just _fixed_ itself!"

"With all the Pixie dust that thing stole, it could heal itself forever." Terrence said in a panic.

"There's no way we could weaken it enough before it just heals itself again." Rachel said to Bryan. "And we can't waste energy hoping it will forget it has a great reservoir of fairy magic in its belly."

"Then we have to make sure that it can't." Bryan answered. "Terrence, Tink, you two fly around its head to keep it distracted. Rachel and I will break the hourglass."

The fairies nodded and buzzed away. The Heartless tried to swat at them as they approached but they were too quick and darted out of the way. There were a few close calls but Tink and Terrence would make it through this battle unscathed. Bryan launched his keyblade again at the hourglass. As soon as it had left his hand, Rachel flew after it. The second after the Bass Blade struck the glass Rachel was right behind with a follow-up blow. The noise made was hard to describe but obviously indicated a critical hit had been landed. As soon as the blade was back in his hands, Bryan threw it again. Rachel circled back and was right there to strike again. She followed up again with an icy blast.

The Heartless did not like this treatment at all. It beat its wings hard, blowing all its attackers away. The dust in the glass glowed and moved upward again. Not only did the weak spot in the hourglass heal but sparking red dust showered all over that burned when touched. Tinker Bell tried to swoop in to distract the Heartless but the heat of the cursed dust forced her to back off before her wings burned.

"It's no good!" Tink cried. "That dust is too hot."

Both Rachel and Bryan shot out strong Blizzard attacks in attempt to cool the area down. The icy blasts didn't reach their target before turning into vapor. Their Wind attacks didn't fare much better. The affected area was just too wide. Worse yet, as the dust fell, tiny black flecks were appearing on the bark. Too much longer the tree might actually catch fire.

Then, suddenly like a diva told to take her place on stage, Vidia reappeared into the fray. She had eight or so Wind fairies with her. She was ready to complete her assigned task.

"Need some back up?" She called as she led her troop.

Flying in a tight formation the fairies dove at the Heartless. They flew in a wide circle around branch and spiraled inward. The dust was swept up and concentrated in a hot funnel. Using their own Wind powers Rachel and Bryan re-directed the molten dust directly at the hourglass. Nature's End howled and tried to move away from the blast. But the damage had already been done. A searing hot scar appeared in the glass. It wasn't very big but it was a clear weak spot.

With her fellow Wind fairies Vidia swooped back at the Heartless, creating a tornado aimed right at its face. It didn't do much damage but it did make it mad. Nature's End flailed its skinny arms wildly at the fairies, nearly catching a few. When it was distracted, Rachel and Bryan dove fast and hard at the weak spot. The hit was true. Rachel struck hard first and the glass cracked. Bryan followed up and the glass broke apart. Pixie dust spewed out of the hole like an avalanche, showering Bryan in the process. The Heartless flailed and swung its hourglass body hard, catching Bryan and sending him spinning. It tried to use the remaining dust to heal itself but it was too late. Too much of the dust had been lost for it to do much with. By the time Nature's End could repair the broken glass there was hardly any dust left.

Bryan coughed and sneezed and tried to shake off as much of the excess dust as he could but he still looked like a little star.

"Tink! Terrence!" Rachel shouted. "Get the light fairies!"

Terrence had been checking the dust that had fallen back into the reservoir below. From what he could tell, there was nothing wrong with it. Once he had that confirmed, he followed Tinker Bell to gather the light fairies.

Nature's End quickly went back to the dust flowing from the tree. It had to get more power. But that, of course, was not an option. Bryan flew above the dust flow and redirected it with Aeroa. It didn't like that. The Heartless swung its huge claws at him but Bryan was up too high. Nature's End began to beat its wings, determined to get the dust one way or another. From behind, Rachel came down on it like a rocket with a new trick. She flew down with her keyblade held out in both hands. The gem blazed with fire. She spun. Tendrils of flame danced behind her. With all the speed she could manage Rachel dove at one of its wings. The flames and the force punched a searing hole through the Heartless' wing. But the wings were still tough. The sudden break in such strong momentum sent Rachel tumbling and rolling on the branch.

Bryan almost went to help her out until she immediately stood up. He concluded she was ok. Rachel wouldn't have been so hasty to agree. The shock of the impact with the Heartless made her dizzy and she'd landed hard on her right shoulder. Rachel used Cura and most of the aching went away. Still, she wasn't sure how well she'd be able to use her Keyblade arm. If the battle didn't end soon the tables may have turned.

Vidia and the other wind fairies had returned and had picked up the task of keeping the dust away from the Heartless. With a big hole in its wing the task was not hard. Bryan was ready for the battle to be over so he was putting in everything he had to end it.

"Alright fairies!" Someone shouted from above. Tinker Bell and Terrence had returned with Iridessa and a dozen or so other Light fairies. Rosetta's Garden fairies had pushed as many of the leaves out of the way as they could. "Give it to him!"

From a wide circle overhead all the Light fairies pushed bright beams of sunlight directly onto Nature's End. The Heartless writhed and flailed as it tried to get away from the light. But not only did the fairies continually move the sunbeams, Bryan and Rachel were following its every move with an attack. Then, with one final swooping dive, Bryan and Rachel both threw their keyblades at Nature's End. The blades crossed, striking the Heartless hard from two sides at the same time. A bright light shone from the point of impact.

It was over.


	13. Neverland: The First Keyhole

The Light fairies moved the sunbeams back to their usual places and the Wind fairies let the pixie dust resume its normal flow. For a moment, there was a strange quiet. Then someone cheered and the other fairies present followed. One triumphant cry became a roar. Pixies that had been hiding in the high branches flew down clapping and cheering. Pixies that had fled to the ground or nearby trees heard the cheers and shouts of joy and joined in. Rachel and Bryan hovered next to each other, exhausted and in awe of the mass of elated fairies coming in around them. Rachel gave him a sideways look and smiled. He laughed a little and returned the smile. They'd done good.

"The queen!" A voice cried.

The entire throng of pixies turned in the direction of four flying, glowing orbs of light. They came together in a cascade of sparkling dust and a beautiful woman took shape from the glow. She had large golden wings and a gold dress that appeared to be made of pixie dust. It even flowed like the dust from the tree. She looked tired but she had just been trapped within a powerful Heartless. No doubt Nature's End had been drawing some of its power from her as well as the dust. The fairies all bowed or curtsied to some degree as she passed.

As she approached them, Rachel and Bryan did the same. She looked them over carefully. Tinker Bell rushed to the side of the keyblade wielders. Terrence followed her.

"Queen Clarion!"

"Tinker Bell," The fairy queen said calmly. "I see these humans are friends of yours."

"Yes! I mean, well, I know humans aren't supposed to come to Pixie Hollow and," Tinker Bell rubbed her forearm nervously and spoke quickly. "But we really needed help and I saw them fight those monsters on other parts of Neverland. I couldn't stand the thought of those things damaging the Pixie Dust tree so I had Terrence take some of the blue pixie dust to make them small so they could help. Please don't punish him! It really was all my-"

Queen Clarion held up a hand to stop her.

"A decision that has just saved Pixie Hollow," She said gently. "The theft of the blue pixie dust and bringing humans to our home will be forgiven. You made a risky call, Tinker Bell, but a wise one."

If she had been standing Tink probably would have collapsed with relief. The fairy queen looked back to Rachel and Bryan. She smiled.

"You both saved not only me but all of Pixie Hollow. Surely that monster would have eventually damaged the Tree in its attempt to acquire all the pixie dust. If that were allowed to happen, no fairy would ever be able to fly again. No new fairies could ever be born. The spirits within a baby's laughter would be forever trapped and forced to wander the world, never allowed to take form and discover its true talent. The seasons would never change. The balance of nature would be forever damaged and fall into chaos. Do you truly understand what a great thing you've done?"

"It's what we were sent here to do." Bryan said.

"We're here to try and keep everywhere safe from the Heartless." Rachel said.

The fairy queen smiled again. "Strong, noble and humble. You really are special humans. I don't believe there is any way we can thank you that will do justice for what you have done for Pixie Hollow. But I trust a celebratory feast this evening would be a good start?"

Two parties held in honor of their heroism in the same week? How could they say no? The fairies cheered and darted about to spread the word and prepare for that evening. Tink and her friends gathered around for a group hug. Everyone had done wonderfully in each of the parts they had played to fight the Heartless. Everyone was a hero that day.

Suddenly a bright light came from the tree. A shape appeared above the spout of pixie dust. It was the Keyhole! They had been right! Awed gasps and sounds of wonder rippled among the remaining fairies. Rachel and Bryan thought back to what Master Yen Sid had said about closing Keyholes. They had to aim their Keyblade at the Keyhole, focus and the Keyblade would take care of the rest.

Shoulder to shoulder Rachel and her brother pointed Moonlit Majesty and the Bass Blade at the shining Keyhole. The ends of their keyblade shone with a small spark of white light at the end. The light became a beam. The two beams met and became one. When they struck the Keyhole small pulses of light radiated from it. Seconds later, they heard a sound, like the latch of a heavy door closing. The light faded but the shape of a keyhole remained imprinted upon the bark. Rachel and Bryan breathed a long, easy breath. It was over. They could feel it. The heart of Neverland was safe from the forces of darkness. Heartless may return and bring with them their mischief but they would never get their claws on the world's heart.


	14. Neverland: Celebration & Moving On

The evening's festivities took place in the glade where the Autumn Revelry was usually held. Come to find out it was in this place where Tinker Bell discovered how to use the Moonstone to make more than double the amount of blue pixie dust created when the light of the blue moon passes through the Moonstone many years ago. It was the special dust that kept the tree flowing strong in the eight-year period between each blue moon.

There was music, lights and dancing. Not to mention a great assortment of food such as berries, nuts, herbs, juices, sparkling spring water, dumplings, muffins and a wide selection of sweet breads. It felt very much like the celebration given to them by the Indians but with a magical touch. Fairies danced to festive music. Not a fairy flew by without a smile. Rachel and Bryan didn't get a moments peace. Every pixie (and it felt like there were thousands) wanted to thank them personally or shake their hands. Every need was met. Their glasses never got a chance to get half empty. If there were any food items they were partial to, someone was there to make sure they got as much as they wanted.

Light fairies used their magic to create fireworks that lit up the sky with beautiful rainbow colors. Animal fairies conducted choirs of song birds. After the feasting was over tables were cleared away to make room for dancing. Every girl wanted to dance with Bryan but dancing wasn't his thing. He only managed to get out of it when he joined the music fairies. Terrence, Clank and Bauble were the first in line to share a dance with Rachel. She was more willing than her brother to dance, but it was amusing to watch Clank try to dance with her. He was so much bigger her feet weren't even touching the ground most of the time. As the dusk turned into night the energy of the festivities didn't falter. But all good things must come to an end.

Queen Clarion asked the key bearers to stand before her. All the fairies gathered around, eager to find out what the Queen was about to say. It had to be something special.

"Rachel, Bryan," She looked down on them kindly. "I stand by what I said before, that there could be no proper way to fully repay the debt of gratitude that Pixie Hollow owes you. But," She smiled. "I believe I know a gift that may be close."

An excited murmur rippled amongst the fairies. Gifts were always fun. And Rachel and Bryan understood not all quests would be rewarded so handsomely as Neverland had been so far. Might as well enjoy it while they could.

Queen Clarion waved her hands. Bright trails of pixie dust swirled about. The dust spun tightly and formed two small satchels. The material glistened and moved like a liquid even though it was solid. With another wave of her hands the pouches made of pixie dust also filled with pixie dust. Queen Clarion motioned to another Dust Keeper fairy who brought to her a small box. She opened it and scooped out a tiny handful of blue pixie dust. The queen sprinkled a bit of the blue dust within the pouches and closed them. The pouches stopped glowing. Queen Clarion took one in each hand and presented them to the key bearers.

"For your act of bravery and rescue of all of Neverland, I bestow upon you both the gift of pixie dust for you to take with you on your journey and use as you see fit."

The fairies gasped in awe. Neither Rachel or Bryan could completely believe it either. But the queen wasn't finished yet.

"This dust will grant you the ability to fly freely where ever you may go. The blue pixie dust will make this ration last a long time and only require a small amount of dust to enable flight. You will be welcome in Pixie Hollow for all time. Ask what you will of us and if we are able, your requests shall be granted."

Rachel and Bryan accepted the gift. They wanted so say something to express what an honor this was, but how do you say thank you for a thank you gift?

The fairies of Pixie Hollow cheered so loud it might have rattled the stars. Rachel nudged Bryan in the arm. He was smiling too. They had sealed their first Keyhole. There was no doubt things would not get easier from there on in. But they had that moment. That one perfect moment. Their first great accomplishment. The perfect end to a first journey.

The next morning, Rachel and Bryan were escorted to the edge of Pixie Hollow by their fairy friends and said their goodbyes. Clank cried.

"Hey," Bryan said looking around. "Where's Tinker Bell?"

"That's a good question." Rosetta said. "It's not like her to just disappear at times like this."

"Now that I think about it," Silvermist said thoughtfully. "Did any of you see her during the celebration? At least the last half of it?"

"I saw so many fairies last night it was hard to tell." Rachel answered.

"I think I saw her leave a while before Queen Clarion gave you two your special pixie dust pouches." Iridessa said.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Vidia asked sharply.

"Well she looked funny. Like she was anxious or something. I thought maybe she'd eaten a bad berry and went home sick."

"She'll turn up." Fawn said. "She always does."

"She was the one who found them in the first place." Terrence reminded. "For her it probably isn't good-bye just yet."

"Yeah, we still have to say one last good-bye to Peter Pan and the Lost Boys before we move on." Bryan said.

"Besides, it's not like we'll never see you again." Rachel added.

They crossed the border of Pixie Hollow and resumed their normal size. On their trek through Neverland's forest they didn't cross paths with a single Heartless. Perhaps the shock of their leader's defeat sent the lesser heartless running. Not like there was anything to complain about. A break wasn't unwelcome.

But the reception back at Hangman's Tree was far from what they could have expected. The Lost Boys were in a frenzy.

"What's going on?" Rachel asked when they got close. "What's the matter?"

"YOU'RE BACK!"

"HELP!"

"Mayday!"

"It's awful!"

"Emergency!"

"You've got to do something!"

"Slow down, guys. What happened?" Bryan said.

It took several minutes to decipher what had happened. Every Lost Boy was shouting in panic at once, each saying the same thing but in different words or telling the entire story of what happened. Bryan had to yell "QUIET!" and startle them into silence before they could hear the story with some coherency.

"That mean pirate Capitan Hook kidnapped Wendy!"

"Pan went after her and hasn't come back."

"Tinker Bell came by and when she learned what happened she followed them!"

"Now they're all gone!"

Now if that wasn't a serious mood damper. John and Michael were sent home with the promise that the key bearers would do everything they could to find her and return her home safely. Rachel went back to Pixie Hollow to pass along the information. Fairies, Lost Boys and the key bearers scoured all of Neverland. No nook, hole or inch of coastline went unchecked but still they found nothing.

Rachel and Bryan sat on a large rock in the midst of the tall grass where they had fought their first challenging Heartless in Neverland.

"I don't think they're here." Rachel said. "Between the lot of us there is no inch of this world we haven't covered."

"Do you think it's possible this Hook guy can go to other worlds too? That would explain why we can't find him. He's not on this world anymore."

"I guess it's too early in the game to put limits on what is possible. But that adds a whole new degree of difficulty doesn't it?"

"I know. If he's kidnapped Wendy and gone to another world…" Bryan trailed off. There was no need to elaborate on what they both knew. But there were other worlds that needed their help too. And they had to tell the Lost Boys they had to go. They would of course keep an eye and ear out for this Capitan Hook and bring Wendy, Peter and Tink home should they find them.

The Lost Boys had full confidence Rachel and Bryan would succeed and said good-bye without begging or tears. Like Hermes had promised, he came when Rachel and Bryan called from the ledge on the mountain. Hermes asked them where they wanted to go next. There were plenty of new places to discover. But they asked to go back to the Mysterious Tower. Maybe Master Yen Sid would know how they could find Wendy.


	15. Trouble Back Home

Hermes saluted a quick good-bye and dashed off to his own world. Rachel and Bryan raced each other up the tower steps. Only one floor up, they remembered they could fly. Rachel took a pinch of dust from her pouch and sprinkled it over her brother. Bryan did the same to her. Holding close to their happy thoughts they began to float. On a silent count of three they sped up the remaining stairs. Only they were going a bit too fast and both thudded against the door before they could stop.

"Master Yen Sid!" Rachel said.

They opened the door with some difficulty because for some reason they were having a hard time putting their feet back on the ground. Yen Sid had watched them enter from his window. He turned and smiled when he saw them. His expression changed to that of surprise when they floated into the room.

"Sorry!" Rachel said, trying to keep herself from floating out of control. Bryan was already rising up when he clearly didn't want to. "The steering and control is a lot different here than in Neverland."

Rachel quickly thought of something she really hated and immediately dropped. She suggested Bryan do the same and it worked.

"I see you have picked up a new trick."

"A gift from the Neverland fairies for saving them from a huge Heartless that was threatening their way of life."

"And we sealed our first Keyhole in the process."

Yen Sid looked very pleased. "A small step to a much greater goal. Now that you've had a taste of that kind of victory, I trust the flame is burning higher?"

"You bet it is." Bryan said. "We were going to call Hermes back this afternoon. We came here to tell you about the Keyhole and ask you something."

They told him everything about how Wendy had been kidnapped by a villain they had never met. Peter Pan and Tinker Bell had gone to save her but they couldn't be found anywhere on that world. They suspected whoever this Hook guy was must have the ability to go between worlds. Of course they had no idea how or how to find where he'd gone to retrieve Wendy. Yen Sid stroked his beard the way he did when something was troubling him.

"I cannot say I have any answers presently. I will do what I can to locate your friend. But in the meantime you two best be off to the next world."

"Master?" Bryan said, picking up on something. "You have something else on your mind, don't you?"

Yen Sid chuckled. "Nothing gets by you, I see. You are right. I have not heard from Merlin in some time, and it worries me. Perhaps it is nothing." But he didn't sound convinced.

"He's not at Hollow Bastion or his cottage?" Rachel asked, concerned.

One of the greatest surprises of training with the kooky old wizard was to learn he actually had a house in Hollow Bastion and they'd never known it. It was kind've a dumb question, really. Merlin rarely returned to his house in Hollow Bastion after the world had begun to crumble.

Yen Sid shook his head. "The last I knew he was at his cottage. But recently I realized I cannot sense his presence at all."

"We can go by the cottage." Rachel said. "Maybe there's a clue, or a note or something."

Yen Sid smiled and nodded. Might as well. They were already here and if they hadn't come by when they did, he would have gone himself.

Down a few levels in a side room stood a full-length mirror with a heavy wooden frame. Bryan ran his hand down the side of the frame. Their image shimmered and rippled before changing to the image of a thick forest. They walked through the portal as casually as walking through a door. On the other side they stepped out of an opening in a large hollow tree. Immediately they could sense something was wrong. Bryan froze. Rachel couldn't suppress a shiver.

"There's darkness here." Rachel said in a hushed voice.

But there couldn't be. Not in this special place. Not the place where they had cast their first spells. First appearances of the gloomy woods and drab colors made this forest out to be a haunted, miserable place. But the key bearers knew better. It was a wonderful place to explore, learn and grow stronger. Anywhere that lovable old eccentric went instantly became brighter. But now an eerie shadow had fallen across the forest. No! Not here!

"C'mon." Bryan said. He took off through the tall trees in the direction of Merlin's Cottage.

Soon the old stone well came into view. They were getting very close. A quick turn onto a small dirt path revealed the thatched roof cottage hidden amongst the trees. The air was stale. What it could mean, she didn't want to think about. Bryan looked into one of the small windows first.

"It's too dark. I can't see anything." He said.

Bryan led the way into the house. The wooden door was not locked. No surprise there. It rarely was. The squeaky hinges echoed strangely. They looked around the small house. Nothing seemed amiss. The mortar was cracked in places, revealing the stone beneath but that was normal. Glass beakers sat quietly on their tables with their mysterious liquids. The planet models hung from their strings on the ceiling.

All the books were in order. Weeks ago Rachel had taken it upon herself to organize the books, trinkets, amulets, collections and, well, junk of Merlin's cottage when he was away helping Bryan improve his magic. Rachel had this odd gift for being able to see the order in a mass of chaos and a compulsion to fix the mess. At first Merlin threw a grouchy fit about his organized chaos being disrupted. But over the next few days Rachel noticed he was finding things much easier. He never thanked her for it. Stubborn old men were like that. But she smirked to herself whenever he went looking for a book and could find it in minutes instead of plundering his own collection, harping all the while about how he could never find anything. She had taken the time to alphabetize them after all.

Nothing was broken. There were no signs of forced entry or a struggle. But something _had_ happened. On a whim Rachel picked up the teapot from the table. It was full of cold tea. She took off the lid. A brown ring had formed on the inside. It had begun to evaporate. The table was set for two. It was as if he had been preparing for afternoon tea with Archimedes then walked away. This conclusion was not far from the truth.

"Who! What what? Oh pinfeathers! Who's there! Merlin is not here so go away!" A sharp, annoyed voice snapped from somewhere in the corner.

"Archimedes! Relax, it's us." Bryan said.

The grouchy old owl stuck his head out of his house.

"Oh-hohoho thank goodness it is you!" Archimedes flew off his perch and onto the table. "I am so glad you're here. Quick, quick! You must follow me, there may still be time!"

"Time for what?" Bryan asked.

"To rescue Merlin of course! He's been gone for days! The darkness in these woods has been growing stronger, all coming from the far west side of the forest. Merlin suspected it had something to do with Madam Mim so he went out to investigate but hasn't returned."

"Who's Madam Mim?" Rachel asked.

"She's a witch and a mad woman! And-oh bah! I'll explain everything on the way. Follow me. And for goodness sake keep your wits about you and your weapons at the ready! The heartless are showing up in places they've never been before."

His tone of urgency was concerning. Usually Archimedes was too busy acting like a grouch to show he had any other emotions. Archimedes zoomed out the open door with the key bearers close behind.


	16. Meeting Mim

"Madam Mim is a powerful witch." Archimedes explained as they wove through the trees. "She and Merlin have been at each other's throats for decades. She uses her magic for evil and hates all things good. To her, horrible things are good and beautiful things are bad. For the most part Mim keeps to her corner of the forest practicing her dark spells but not causing too much mischief to anyone."

"If she lives in these woods, how come we've never heard about her?" Rachel asked.

"Why do you think Merlin only allowed you to train on the east side of the forest? It was so you would never have to meet that awful madwoman."

"Why didn't you try to get help?" Bryan asked.

"I'm a bird, boy! I can't open the portals you know that! But don't think I haven't tried. After a few hours passed when Merlin first left I tried to find out what was keeping him. Unfortunately I couldn't get close to Mim's house without getting attacked by heartless."

"Like now?" Rachel said, pointing ahead of them. The bright eyes of Shadow Heartless beamed through bushes and behind tree roots. Soldiers appeared next followed by a new Heartless that looked like a gnarly tree stump come to life.

Many, many Heartless that showed up along the way. Air Soldiers, Large Bodies and Red Nocturnes started appearing as well. The Heartless were getting stronger, more numerous and showing up more often the deeper into the forest they went.

"This is stupid!" Bryan sunk to his knees and supported himself with his keyblade. Rachel let herself drop on a large tree root.

"Please say we're almost there." Rachel panted. "This is like trying to get to the eye of a hurricane by flying on the back of a kite."

Archimedes landed on her head. "Yes yes, nearly there. Rest now. You'll need all your strength if this turns into a fight. Knowing Mim, she'll try to toy with you first. That terrible witch is mad about playing games to amuse herself. Mostly of course so she can break the rules she makes." He jittered nervously. "Whowhowho, oh I hope she doesn't try to get you into a Wizard's Duel. Neither of you are ready for that kind of magic."

"Why?" Rachel asked. "What's so different about a Wizard's Duel?"

"Well it's a battle of wits. Two wizards use their magic to change into different things to try an-an-and destroy one another."

"Excuse me?!" Bryan snapped his head up. "You don't think Merlin didn't come back because he's-"

"Don't say it!" Rachel snapped at him. "Don't you dare say it because it's not true! Merlin's too good for that."

"I do so hope you're right." Archimedes said solemnly. The fact the old owl was that worried couldn't be good.

"Then let's move!"

Rachel got up quickly and took off. Not seeing much of an option, Bryan followed. The remaining trek went by without sight of a single heartless. But their presence could be felt everywhere. It was strongest here. It couldn't be a coincidence. This Mim character had to be the focal point. The forest looked more and more dreary the farther in they went. The gnarly gray trees were dead or dying. Not a single leaf could be found in the entire forest. Unidentifiable skulls and bones littered the ground.

Her house was in view. It was a dark stone cottage with a thatched roof. An eerie, bone-chilling silence cloaked the area like a heavy blanket. But did this mean no one was home? Or did that mean darkness sounds like silence? Archimedes perched high on a branch to keep an eye out. Like thieves in the night Rachel and Bryan snuck around the house. Bryan couldn't see anything when he looked through the window and neither of them could hear anything. No footsteps, human or heartless. No whistling of a tea kettle. Not even flipping of book pages. Perhaps no one was home?

Cautiously, they entered the house. It was built much like Merlin's, only a lot darker and more run down. The walls and floor were actually visible because this witch apparently didn't bother with many books. Every other ceiling beam had thick patches of dusty cobwebs. A lot of the mortar around the stone structure had cracked and chipped away, leaving huge holes. A metal teapot had been placed in the window and used as a flowerpot. A single flower had long since wilted. A heavy wooden table was bare except for a teacup and saucer, a half melted candle and deck of playing cards.

All was quiet. They could feel darkness in every pore of this place. So why weren't the Heartless swarming it? Rachel and Bryan looked around the bare house, hoping to find some source of the darkness. A cursed item perhaps? A spell book?

Suddenly the door cracked against the frame as a swirling tornado of purple smoke snapped it open. A short ugly woman with pale purple-gray hair and a pink dress danced out of the smoke. She was singing a little song to herself, clearly pleased about something. Then she noticed she wasn't alone.

"What?! Who are you? What are you doing in my house?" She demanded.

"You must be Madam Mim?" Bryan said.

"Indeed I am. Oh! This is simply lovely." Her attitude changed instantly. "So tell me, my boy, wherever did you hear of the Marvelous Madam Mim?"

"I wouldn't sound so excited." Rachel said. _Ego issues, much?_ She thought "Nothing we've heard was good."

"Why thank you, my dear. It makes me happy to know my reputation is intact. So tell me, dears what brings you to the home of the Marvelous Madam Mim? Are you lost? That would be lovely. Misery is such a wonderful thing, wouldn't you agree? Now, now dears, is there something I can help you with? The nastier the better. That is my specialty after all."

Rachel and Bryan were completely taken aback. Archimedes described her as a madwoman and now they could see where he was coming from. No one should talk about grim things with that kind of delightful childish sparkle.

"We're looking for someone." Rachel said cautiously.

"Another lost soul? How horrible." But she spoke as though it were a good thing. "Oh, please, sit down and I'll make some tea. You can tell me all about your lost friend. I can even show you my magnificent magic that makes Madam Mim so marvelous!"

"I don't think we-" Bryan began.

But his words were lost. The witch had already twiddled her hands like a child pretending to be a conductor and tea sets and such began zooming about the room. In a puff the kettle filled with water and the fire beneath it lit. Two chairs poofed out of nowhere.

"So tell me, what are you doing so far into my forest?" Mim poured the tea with a flick of her hand.

"We came out here looking for a wizard called Merlin." Bryan hadn't touched his tea or sat down. There were still cobwebs on the rim and the chair was dusty.

"Oh Merlin," Mim laughed hysterically and rolled about in her chair. "My dear boy, why would you be looking for that old bungling bumbler? The world is well-rid of that old fool and his goody-two-shoes magic tricks."

Rachel felt like she'd just been kicked in the stomach.

"What do you mean, 'well-rid'?" She was glad she wore long sleeves. The ripple of horrified goose bumps would have surely been noticed otherwise.

"He's now in a prison of darkness, my dear. I'm keeping that old frog there so no one can interfere with letting my wonderful black sorcery shine." Mim giggled like a school girl. "Oh how I wish I could go there to see the look on that hop-toad's face. It must be dreadful there! So much darkness to make any day an unhappy day!"

Rachel felt a rage bubbling beneath her skin. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her brother stiffen. He felt the same as she did. No one was going to talk about their friend and mentor that way. If what she said was true, Merlin was trapped but alive. And they were going to get him back.

"You know where Merlin is." Bryan confirmed. There was no emotion in his voice.

"Of course, I did put him in that prison of darkness. Would you like to see me make myself even more hideous?"

"Only you can release him."

"Yes! Yes I can! Enough talk about Merlin! I have more magic in one little finger! Why are such horrid young things like you bothering with that bearded fence post anyway?"

Rachel and Bryan called their keyblade and pointed them threateningly at the madwoman.

"Merlin is our teacher and friend." Rachel said darkly.

"You locked him away, and now you're going to free him." Bryan said with a low growl in his voice.

Mim looked between them with a disappointed pout to her lip but at the same time a steely glare in her eyes. The truth was out. There was nothing she could do to deter them from what they wanted. She didn't like that.

"So you're Merlin's students, eh? What are those things? Some kind of magic wand that soft-hearted bat brought here from the future? And I suppose you expect me to just set him free just like that? Like a nasty little songbird? I'm afraid I cannot help you, dearies. I specialize in causing misery, not ending it."

"We weren't asking." Bryan said, a threat dripping from his lips.

Mim looked them over for a moment. She chortled. "My, my, my, you two don't really mean to challenge me do you? The Marvelous Madam Mim can do all kinds of powerful magic. I was able to lock away 'the world's most powerful wizard'. There is no possible way for you to defeat me."

"Then I suppose you have nothing to worry about." Rachel said, equally as cold as her brother. Then she remembered what Archimedes said earlier. "What about we make it a game?"

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Bryan's 'what-are-you-doing?' look. Mim's eyes lit up.

"A game, you say? Oh hohoho! I'm mad about games you know. So what do you suggest? Oh do make it something deliciously nasty, won't you dear?"

Rachel swallowed. This might be impossible. Still, it might be the only option they had.

"The challenge is a battle. Magic and weapons are allowed. No time limit."

"And the stakes, dearie?"

"If we win, you set Merlin free."

"But if I win you join him." Mim cackled and danced about.

"That doesn't sound very nasty." Bryan spoke up.

Rachel looked at him. By the split-second half-grin he gave her, she knew he knew what he was doing.

"I beg your pardon!" Mim snapped. "Locked in a prison of eternal darkness isn't nasty enough for you? Just you wait! I can show you horrid! I can show you truly dreadful!"

"Like letting us go home to wallow in our failure over our agonizing defeat at the hands of the all-powerful Madam Mim?"

Rachel almost laughed out loud. And she thought she was good at fiction. When all else fails, ego-fluff the enemy. And that would provide them a second chance. If they couldn't defeat Mim on their own, they could always come back with Master Yen Sid.

Mim muttered to herself, thinking carefully. But she did consent that letting them go home knowing they'd never see their mentor again did give her excited chills. Mim joyously squealed to herself about how wonderful it would be to see them crying themselves sick over their failure.

The bait had been set. The hook had been taken. Now it was time to see if they could land the prize.


	17. Battle The Maddness

Archimedes had nearly begun molting out of worry. He'd seen Mim go into the house and panicked, sure there would be trouble. Then followed a wave of relief when he heard civilized tones. Then the butterflies returned when he could sense the atmosphere had changed. He couldn't hear all they were saying from his perch in a nearby tree. Archimedes wanted to get closer but didn't know if is presence would cause complications if Mim noticed him. When Mim exited the house with the key bearers he quivered down to the pinfeathers. Oh! And after he told them not to engage in a wizards duel too!

"Now let's review the rules." Mim turned around to face her challengers.

"This is not a death match," Bryan confirmed quickly.

"Yes, yes," The old witch brushed him off. "You two can't go home and wallow in your failure if you're dead. Any kind of magic is allowed,"

"And weapons," Rachel added.

"And weapons. There is no time limit. The duel will end when either competitor surrenders or can no longer fight. If you win, I release Merlin. When you lose, you go home knowing you will never see your mentor again."

Archimedes was shocked. How had they managed to make those the stakes of the duel was incredible. However, if he knew anything about the Mad Madam Mim, there was only a fifty-fifty chance she would actually honor the agreement.

"Ready dearies?" The witch cackled. "We pace off to ten. I do so hope you cry when you lose!"

T he madwoman and the key bearers stood back to back and she began to count off. Rachel and Bryan hadn't even counted to six when the earth shook and trembled fiercely.

"What do y-?" Rachel began. But by the time they had turned, Mim had become invisible.

"Hey! That's not-!" Bryan stopped short when he felt hot breath on his neck and ducked just in time.

Mim transformed herself into a big pink and purple tiger and was within seconds of crunching Bryan. A strange, dark haze swayed lightly around her like a fog. She didn't just use black magic, she was using Darkness too. The key bearers split up and had their keyblades held at the ready. Mim patted her paws together gleefully. Apparently cheating this early in the game was thrilling. With a mighty roar tiger-Mim pounced at Rachel. Rachel retaliated by blasting her in the face with Blizzard. Bryan jumped from behind and threw the Bass Blade with what he had (recently) christened, the SawBlade Attack. The hit was true and Mim was none too happy. With another furious roar Mim transformed into a rhinoceros and a small army of Soldier Heartless appeared around her.

Bryan continued to use his SawBlade attack for as long as his throwing arm had the strength. It struck multiple Heartless without stopping both on its way out and as it returned to its master. Rachel was able to keep her focus on Mim whilst Bryan took care of the Heartless. Once again she charged at Rachel. The ground shook under her massive weight. Another blast of Ice wasn't going to cut it to stop her charge. Rachel called upon the Wind and with it gouged trenches in the ground. Mim couldn't change her course before tripping up.

Eventually the siblings found a beat on how to effectively fight the madwoman and her dark sorcery. Each form she took had its own elemental weakness. The problem was finding the weakness and taking advantage before she changed shape again (and avoiding claws, horns and teeth in the process). Physical blows were effective no matter what her form, but depending on the form it could become dangerous to get too close. The haze of darkness swaying around her was like breathing in a toxic vapor. Close quarter attacks had to be done quickly before the darkness could do any damage. Even more annoying was the ever-present troop of Heartless that were drawn to the darkness welling up inside the insane witch.

Mim took the form of a giant alligator, snapping her long jaws. The snap was so sharp it created a short distance shock wave. Mim snapped widely at Bryan. Archimedes almost covered his eyes. She was too close. But Bryan managed to jump back at the last second, shielding his face with his keyblade. But it was Mim who looked stunned. The old bird hooted and hollered when he understood what had happened. The shock wave had struck the keyblade and bounced back, creating a concussive sound wave. No surprise, really, it was called the _**Bass**_ Blade after all. But Archimedes didn't fail to notice Bryan's look of surprise or catch the bewildered glace at his keyblade. Apparently he didn't know it could deflect sound. It shouldn't have been that surprising, really. After all, it was infused with the power of music.

Rachel saw her opportunity and swooped in with an icy blow. That certainly made the ringing in Mim's ears stop. She glared at Rachel and in a puff of sparkles transformed into a reindeer and shook her tall antlers dangerously. Bryan threw the SawBlade and struck Mim hard in the side. His timing couldn't have been more perfect. While raging reindeer turned to teach him a lesson, Rachel was able to deal with a group of Soldiers that had gathered behind her.

As Blizzard worked well against a reptile, Fire worked well against a creature designed for the snowy tundra. But Mim wasn't the fool to remain in one shape long after a weakness had been uncovered. Back and forth. Back and forth. There were times Archimedes did cover his eyes with his feathers. Mim started favoring larger animals. Mostly with large teeth and long claws. But that could mean she was getting worn down and was taking up larger shields to reduce further damage. That had to be the reason. Larger and more powerful Heartless were appearing. Soldiers had vanished. Large Bodies were everywhere. But so were Darkballs and Gargoyles.

Archimedes had to hide in the hollow of an old tree to avoid the Gargoyles noticing him. He desperately wanted to do something. They were holding their own magnificently but there were about eight heartless at all times and Mim did have plenty of kick left. Rachel and Bryan would take turns striking Mim and keeping the Heartless at bay.


	18. The Madness Rages

Then, the key bearers pulled off a trick Archimedes had only seen them attempt in practice months ago.

Bryan crouched down, the end of the Bass Blade held low to the ground. Rachel jumped high in the air from a running start. As she began to lose altitude from the jump, Bryan swung hard. His timing was perfect. The highest point of his swing caught under her foot as she came down. When Rachel felt the contact of a surface she jumped high again. Bryan put his strength into the last part of the swing to give her additional thrust. She soared high, her keyblade poised to bring down a powerful blow. But just as she was about to strike, several Gargoyles grabbed her by her arms and tried to fly high with her.

Archimedes couldn't believe it. That had to be the most perfect team attack ever to be performed and its perfection had been interrupted. Rachel tried to swing them off but with her arms in their claws swinging with her Keyblade was impossible. She tried kicking next, perhaps hoping to upset their momentum enough to drop her. When that didn't work she did what probably would have been the most effective in the beginning. The orb of Moonlit Majesty lit up bright yellow and sparked. Seconds later bolts of lightning shot down from the sky. The bolts hit the Gargoyles hard. The ones that weren't immediately destroyed were jolted enough to let go.

"RACHEL!" Bryan shouted. He tried to get passed the Heartless but three Large Bodies were blocking his way.

What Rachel hadn't seen was Mim transforming once again into a huge crocodile. The witch ran back and forth with her mouth wide open the moment the Gargoyles had interrupted the attack. Bryan's shout got his sisters attention to the danger. Archimedes stood frozen in horror as he watched Rachel fall with Mim's jaws open wide down below. The old owl turned away and covered his face. That sound of jaws snapping shut was the absolute most terrible thing he'd ever heard. He felt as though the world had gotten a little less bright. Archimedes had never been quick to trust or like anyone but saw something special in her from the beginning. She'd always been sweet without being gushy and ever the optimist without being annoying.

Wait...that was Madam Mim's voice he heard shrieking. Not Rachel crying out in pain or Bryan crying out for his sister. Without hesitation Archimedes spun around to see what had happened. Madam Mim was throwing the most terrible fit and shrieking something about 'not fair'. But where was Rachel? Bryan had already gone back to taking care of Heartless as if nothing had gone wrong. Then he saw it and his beak dropped open.

Glittering with the occasional gold sparkle Rachel was actually floating in mid-air! Well that was certainly new. And impressive. And a tremendous relief. Archimedes hooted wildly with joy.

"No! No! NO! You can't do that! That's against the rules!"

"Na-ah-ah!" Rachel shook her finger in a no-no fashion and smiled mockingly. "The rules were _**any**_ kind of magic was allowed. Fairy magic fits the bill just fine."

The witches face turned an awful shade of purple, like a beet with a bad sunburn, and contorted with annoyed rage. Those were the rules after all. And since Rachel hadn't technically cheated that gave Mim no justification to cheat herself. Then again, that sort of upper hand might just prompt her to cheat to get even. The darkness swirling around her danced dangerously. The Heartless around her also began emitting the same mist. Her dark magic gave them strength.

Bryan also took to the air with a great leap. He could fly too! It was remarkable! But Archimedes did feel a pang of offense at their new skill. Merlin had turned them into birds before and Archimedes showed them how to fly. Once a week Merlin would let them go flying through the forest before the days lesson. Does this mean they won't want to fly with him anymore? He knew it wasn't the time for it but he felt it anyway.

Back to back the key bearers unleashed a great storm of lightning. All the Gargoyles were fried instantly. The Darkballs and Large Bodies flailed around wildly very displeased with their discomfort. The effect was great. Rachel's lightning attack had already strengthened to Thundaga. They attacked with lightning several more times until all the Heartless were all zapped to puffs of darkness. Mim couldn't get out of the way without getting hit so she transformed into a heavily shelled tortoise until the thunder strikes ended. When she stuck her head out again all her summoned Heartless were gone and Rachel and Bryan were still in the air. In the air and closing in fast. Mim changed into a snail, too small to be struck without either of them crashing into the ground. She'd made a good call. Rachel and Bryan were forced to pull out of the dive.

Then, her shape began to swell. Mim grew larger and larger and took on a hideous shape. By the time the transformation had finished Mim was a gnarly long-necked dragon. The darkness surrounding her intensified again. The air immediately became stale and left a strange taste in the mouth and stung the nose when inhaled. Darkball Heartless cloaked the sky overhead. They had the same dark mist oozing from their eyes and attacked like wounded animals. Archimedes shuddered in his hiding place. This was not good. But the key bearers looked like they had a plan.

Bryan chucked the Bass Blade as hard as he could into the cloud of Heartless. It spun madly hitting Heartless on its way to and from its master. It made the sound of a bass drum being hit every time it struck a foe. By the look of it, fighting flying creatures while flying made the battle easier. Bryan did very well fighting against the Heartless. While he took care of the cloud of darkness above, Rachel used all her Ice magic against Mim. Mim of course had to be a fire-breathing dragon and tried to roast Rachel every chance she got. Rachel had a few near misses but otherwise was as agile as a sparrow. Perhaps all the time they'd spent as birds on flying outings made her so comfortable in the air. Archimedes wasn't sure how she did it (but felt proud all the same) but she brought down a small hailstorm that pelted hard on the cranky witch with icy pellets.

Even with a power boost the Darkballs weren't faring well. Bryan dodged most of their attacks while his keyblade broke through the swarm. But no matter where he flew his weapon always came back to him.

Madam Mim grew increasingly angry. Rachel was staying annoyingly out of reach and her Blizzard attacks were taking a toll. She roared in frustration when she saw most of her summoned Heartless had been defeated.

"You cannot defeat the great and powerful Madam Mim!" She stomped her clawed feet on the ground like a child having a tantrum. "I need more power!"

A powerful shockwave of dark energy exploded from the raging witch. The blast sent both the key bearers and the Heartless tumbling and flailing. The inky black haze around Mim became so thick most of her form had been shrouded by the haze. Putrid pools of darkness swirled on the ground. Enormous Behemoth Heartless pulled themselves from the passageways of darkness. They too were covered by a mist of darkness and it oozed from around their eyes. But the huge creatures shook their heads as though the sudden power boost actually hurt them.

Rachel and Bryan regrouped in mid-air in front of Mim and the five Behemoths she'd summoned. Archimedes wasn't sure how much more he could take. From what he knew of this kind of Heartless, they were slow moving but had a high endurance. Mim could recover by the time all five of them had been destroyed. Perhaps Mim saw something in them that he didn't, at least if that mad look and flaming snarl was anything to go by.

They certainly looked ready to continue. Archimedes crept out along the tree branch to get a better look at their faces. He saw a shining spark of confidence. In fact, he liked those snarky grins. They'd found an advantage and they were going to make the most of it. Mim could see that confidence and didn't like it. Could it be possible she could see they had what it took to defeat her?

The battle commenced again. It didn't take long for the siblings to figure out by keeping their attacks concentrated on Mim, the Behemoths couldn't do much damage to them without the impact tremors of their footsteps hurting her too. Archimedes felt his heart swell with pride. Mim was of course not at all thrilled once she realized what they were doing. She even had to attack her own Heartless to make them back off before they trampled on her. Mim gave the Behemoths another boost of dark power but they couldn't take it. They roared and shook their massive heads like they were trying to shake away a swarm of angry bees. Apparently even creatures of darkness cannot cope with a tidal wave then they're not ready for it. The Behemoths trampled around in a blind frenzy. Mim shrieked at them to get it together and attack the key bearers but they weren't listening. It was probably about that time she really realized that summoning and beasts of the ground wasn't the best idea.

Bryan called forth the Lightning and Rachel another gale of Ice. The painful shocks of electricity only intensified the Behemoths frenzy. Blinded by the darkness that was supposed to empower them, they started crashing into and even attacking each other. The hailstorm pelted down on Mim. Even her fire couldn't get it tall. The key bearers continued their assault. Their success only made Mim more angry.

"NOOOO! No one can defeat the all-powerful Madam MIM! No one!" She called upon more darkness than she ever had before. Mim grew immensely her strangely purple scales had turned black by the dark energy. Pools of darkness started appearing all over.

"Nobody will defeat me! Nobody!"

The sky turned black and a thick black miasma curled away from Mim like an ocean fog. The ground shook, but that was mostly from Mim's tantrum stomping as she tried to call on more darkness. The witch was past the point of reason or bound by any honor to uphold an agreement. She was going to summon as much dark power as she could. The last thing they were ever going to see was the spectacular display of darkness from the Marvelous Madam Mim.

"Nobody! I'll squash you all! Nobody can be stronger me! ME! The Magnificent Madam Mim!" She shrieked over and over.

Archimedes couldn't take it anymore. He flew out of his hiding place to the key bearers.

"Quick! You have to get out of here! This is getting far too dangerous!"

Rachel and Bryan agreed. The situation was getting uglier by the second. Mim, still in dragon form was enormous. The darkness coming from her fouled the air with the most horrendous stench. It was getting hard to breathe. The taste of darkness in the air was positively sickening.

"Nobody! Nobody!"

Then came another, more powerful blast of darkness. The force sent all three of them tumbling and crashing into the ground. Rachel was able to scoop up Archimedes and shield him from the fall. Just as they stood up another blast followed, knocking them down again.

"Quick!" The old owl cried. "Into the cottage!"

The going wasn't easy. Between the blasts of dark waves and Mim's stomping walking was difficult. Bryan kicked the door in and yanked Rachel through before slamming it shut again.

"Nobody! NOBODY!"

Rachel curled up behind the door around Archimedes. Bryan shielded her. The blasts shook the house like a wave against a sand castle. The windows were shut but foul darkness still tried to push through.

"NOBODY! NO-!"

A huge explosion of darkness rattled the foundation. It was as if even the air itself had turned black. A gust of wind howled mercilessly outside. Fine powder from the mortar of the walls showered down across the whole house. Anything that wasn't inside a closed cupboard door fell out and smashed to the floor. Gusts clawed at the thatched roof, little by little tearing bits of it away. A clacking of stone on stone suggested the chimney had been blown over.

Then…silence.


	19. The Smell of Darkness

The silence seemed to last forever. Bryan slowly opened his eyes. The room was dark. Only a few patches of gray light shined dully from holes in the ceiling. There wasn't a sound to be heard anywhere. The silence was eerie and unnatural. The darkness in the air remained. As he looked around and strained his ears for even the slightest sound the strength of Bryan's gag reflux was tested a few times. Something didn't feel right. Something felt strange. The air was thick with the foul stench of darkness and…wait, that's what was wrong. He hadn't been able to smell for most of his life but he could smell this.

_So that's what pure darkness is like_. Bryan thought.

It was awful. It was everywhere. It felt like everything and nothing. It stung and made his skin prickle. It felt as though the very blood in his veins had turned to ice. He felt numb. He felt cold. He felt hot. Terrified and comforted. Like being touched by a friend and gripped by a stranger. Kissed by a lover and strangled by an enemy. But ultimately it was as if something evil was trying to claw its way to his core to carve away at his very soul.

It was only right there and then did he truly understand how wicked darkness could really be.

Rachel finally looked up and looked around, Archimedes in her arms. He honestly looked like he was surprised they were alive or not in some endless pit of darkness.

"What happened to Mim?" Rachel asked. She coughed. The air was very stale and stuffy. She too acted on the verge of getting sick a few times. She bunched up the material of her sleeve and covered her nose with it, Archimedes still in her other arm.

"I haven't checked yet," Bryan said.

Archimedes moved to Rachel's shoulder. "Just be careful," He whispered.

Rachel stood up out of the way. Bryan put his hand to the doorknob. His keyblade appeared in his other hand. Rachel did the same. He opened the door just a crack. Nothing. Bryan opened the door further, then all the way and stepped outside. Rachel cautiously followed. Everything they could see had turned a dull ash-gray. Like this portion of the forest had just been touched by a forest fire. Few trees stood straight. Most had snapped like matchsticks or leaned on a heavy angle. Even the tiniest pebble had been blown away. At the focal point of the blast a wellspring of darkness bubbled and oozed. Tendrils of black flickered like a weak candle flame. Minute by minute the bubbling pool of darkness grew smaller.

Bryan looked around cautiously. Was this a trick? A distraction so Mim could swoop in out of nowhere while they investigated? But as the spring dwindled in size, it also lost power. Like water going down a drain it spiraled and disappeared entirely. The presence of darkness was still thick everywhere but the focal point was gone. Mim was gone, swallowed by the very darkness she had tried to control.

"We need to get out of here. The darkness here is suffocating." Rachel said.

Bryan agreed. Now that even breathing had been compromised and the adrenaline was beginning to wear off did he realize just how tired the fight had made him. Perhaps it was the darkness that covered the area like a thin blanket that drained him of his strength. Bryan felt dirty. Something foul had contaminated his very pores and had to be washed off immediately.

Suddenly the dirt and dust around the place where the darkness spring had disappeared began to swirl like a whirlwind but there was no wind. Wisps of blue smoke and sparkles slowly entered the swirl until the whirlwind was completely blue. With a particularly fast spin and a very loud POOF! the tornado disappeared. Merlin stepped out of the whirlwind, straightening his glasses and looking very disoriented.

"Merlin!" They all cried together.

"W-w-what? What just-what just happened? Where-where are we?"

Before the wizard knew what hit him he was squished tightly in a bear hug. Bryan wasn't usually one for hugging but he was so grateful to see the old man was all right.

"Oh! Yes, yes. I'm fine. Now, ah, come, come now. This can wait until we're somewhere safe."

That happened almost instantly. With another big POOF the group found themselves safely in Merlin's cottage.

"Perhaps a spot of tea is in order," Archimedes suggested. As happy as he was to see his old friend alive, it was obvious to everyone Merlin was not completely at his best.

"I'll do you one better. Let's have that tea at the tower." Rachel said.

"Yes, yes," Archimedes agreed. "Yen Sid will wish to see you alive and well as soon as possible."

Merlin was still too weary to argue. At Merlin's pace they made their way to the portal in the hollow tree. It was odd for Bryan to see him walking so slowly. He knew Merlin had been through a lot but that didn't stop it from feeling strange. Usually the old wizard had more spring in his step than they did. Was that the problem? Was that kooky wizard finally letting his age catch up to him? No, impossible. He just had a rough day. There was no way anything could get that spirited old man down for long. Bryan and his sister still had a few years before they would brush twenty and there was a good chance Merlin would be able to dance the Texas two-step on their graves.

Master Yen Sid waited for them on the other side of the portal. The lines of his face darkened as his brow furrowed with concern. Yen Sid took them to one of the drawing rooms and offered Merlin the most comfortable chair. With a wave of his hand a fire lit in the hearth accompanied with all the possible applications necessary to brew tea, toast and jams included. Once the kettle sang and everyone settled in, Yen Sid wanted to know everything. There was no way he couldn't sense and especially not smell the darkness on all of them. It was like passing by where a skunk had recently sprayed. You couldn't go home without somebody noticing.

"But how could she just combust like that?" Bryan asked after they'd finished telling the story.

"Yeah," Rachel agreed. "I mean, yes, the cheese had completely fallen out of her sandwich but she seemed so keen on sending us home crying."

"Next thing we know, we get an upper hand and she throws a temper tantrum like she's offended the battle turned in our favor. Who's to say our advantage would have even lasted?"

Yen Sid stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Perhaps she only saw Merlin as a worthy opponent. She had defeated him so all there was left to do was bask in the glow of triumph. Then you two come along, in her eyes, inferior magicians and fight splendidly to the point of claiming victory. The combination of her pride, greed, temper and existing madness, she couldn't control the darkness within her, let alone the external darkness she had invited into her heart. Trying to blacken herself further only invited the darkness to claim her."

"Loosely translated, this was all just a big battle of ego?" Bryan asked, disbelieving.

Yen Sid nodded.

Merlin hadn't said much and Archimedes never left his perch on Merlin's hat. A few moments passed in thoughtful silence. The only sounds were the popping of the fireplace and the click of Rachel putting her finished tea cup on the table.

"Rachel, Bryan," Master Yen Sid said. "I would like to have a private word with Merlin."

"Yes, sir." Bryan said. He got up and went straight to the door. Rachel gave Merlin another quick hug then followed her brother.


	20. Return Home & Bedtime

"I feel disgusting." Rachel's voice came from the other side of the thick curtain. "It's like that sticky feeling from being outside on a humid day for too long only it makes me feel sick."

"You feel it that way too? Like a film of something is stuck to your skin?"

"Yeah."

The Tower had a sizable bathing room made of polished stone. Crystal chandeliers grew from the ceiling. Not metal chandeliers with pretty crystals attached to them but the chandeliers were actually made of crystal, lit up from the inside by magic. On the farthest wall was a wide but shallow pool with a Zen waterfall. The idea was the sit on a large flat stone at the base and let the water fall down your back. There were other pools designed for different things but right now all Bryan wanted was a simple tub. Three identical stone tubs were lined up with a pale, silvery curtain to divide them. They were quite large, an oval about eight feet long and five feet across at the center, easily fitting at least three adults comfortably. There were no knobs. The water flowed at the command of a magic word. Once activated, the tub filled quickly.

The sound of running water echoed musically in the large room. The only other sound was the shuffling of fabric as the siblings got undressed. When the tub was about halfway full Bryan tossed his clothes into a small metal-mesh hamper and told it to go to the laundry. Instantly it came to life and walked out of the room. Rachel had done the same thing. Bryan didn't really care for baths. He'd rather take a shower. But he wasn't against taking a bar of soap with him to freshen up in a clean stream or lake. Right now, however, he wasn't about to be picky. The water felt divine. Sweet, sweet cleansing heat.

For a long while neither of them said anything. They reveled in the relaxing warm water, allowing it to nurse muscles before they had a chance to get sore.

"You're seeing this too, right?" Came Rachel's voice.

Bryan knew what she was talking about. Seconds after he began to rub himself down with the giant blue sponge, a pale gray substance leaked into the water. He brought the scrub slowly down his arm. More gray, like he had been coated in oil that was just then beginning to wash off. Bryan scrubbed hard and used three times more soap as he normally would. Whether or not that helped was up for debate. In no time the entire tub was filled with cloudy gray water. It was disgusting. Bryan had the tub empty then refill immediately. He had to do this three times before the water was barely discolored. He felt raw all over but that was better than being contaminated.

"Do you think Master sent us away because we stink of this stuff?"

"Possible. Couldn't exactly blame him if he did. It is really disgusting." Bryan took one of the fluffy towels on the shelf and began drying off.

"How do you know that?"

"I can smell it."

"Seriously?"

"Took me a while to realize it but looks like darkness is something I can smell."

"Well that's all kinds of not good."

Bryan heard Rachel pull back her curtain. That was new. Usually she took her sweet time getting clean and dry. Taking the time to get her long hair dry was an excuse that could only be taken so far after all. He wrapped the towel around his waist and used a second one to dry his hair before stepping out himself. Rachel had a towel wrapped around her head and wore a long rose-colored robe. It was thick and fluffy and went almost to her ankles. She padded her feet on a floor mat to get dry.

"That was the grossest I've ever felt in my life."

"I don't know about you," Rachel said when she saw him. "But I'm going to my room, putting my feet up and having a hot chocolate."

An excellent idea. It wasn't until then did he realize his feet hurt. Weird. Bryan stuck with the towel since he wouldn't be caught dead in a pink robe unless absolutely necessary. Besides, their room was only one floor up and it wasn't like there was anyone else around. And so long as he was completely covered he knew Rachel wouldn't care.

Bryan and his sister shared a very large room on one of the uppermost floors. It was more like a wide hall, really, a rectangle where the width of the room was much shorter than its length. Bryan had the half by the window; Rachel had the half by the door. A silk curtain ran across the ceiling and divided the two sides for privacy, mostly for dressing since they both had four-poster beds and drew the drapes every night. The window at the end took up most of the wall. A ledge had been cut into the stone and was lined with plushy cushions. Rachel would often spend her afternoons reading in that window. Another fun thing about it was the panels could be changed to different colors so the room could be flooded by a rainbow.

Finding out they were to live here while being trained as keyblade wielders came as a surprise at the beginning. Even moreso was to be shown where they would stay. Life in Hollow Bastion had been comfortable. By no means did they live like street urchins. Like everyone, Bryan enjoyed getting new things to call his own but didn't strive obsessively hard to obtain the finer things. There were things he'd've liked to have growing up but after figuring out he could survive without it he grew to be a rather simple young man with simple needs. That being said, it would be a lie to say he wasn't blown away when he saw what was being offered to him.

Each side of the room had a small fireplace. Both had a large comfy chair and rug in front of them. Silver chandeliers glistened from above and contained dozens of magic candles that never dripped wax and shined brighter or softer just by asking. Bookshelves. Polished stone floors. Antique wooden dressers and nightstands. And of course the large four-poster beds. Each had silky drapes of deep, rich hues. Bryan's had forest green drapes with golden threads woven into swirling leaves and animal shapes. Rachel's bed had sapphire blue drapes with silver threads creating the constellations. That one had a special magic that would say the constellations names and the stars would light up to show where each one was. She left the spell activated a lot. She said the gentle monotone of the magic voice saying the names was soothing. The spell, to make it stop, funnily, was a sharp upward jab with the pinkie finger. Next to each of their beds was a writing desk. Master Yen Sid had encouraged them from day one to keep a journal of their experiences and feelings. Perhaps they could be used for reflection. Or as inspiration for future keyblade wielders.

Rachel flopped on her bed. "Oh, my bed, my blankie, my pillow."

"Mew!"

Bryan lay back on his own bed and watched his sister get love-mauled by the kitten she had accidently summoned a few months ago. That black and white, spoiled fluffy thing Yen Sid let her keep after she fell in love with it on sight. Bryan enjoyed teasing her with that kitten. It was extremely affectionate and tolerated being handled all sorts of ways. Although Bryan preferred dogs, and had a neutral opinion on cats, he had a squishy soft-spot for kittens.

"Clean of darkness, in my room, on my bed, with my kitten, I'd say there are far worse ways to end a day."

Something scratched at the door then pushed it open. Two netted hampers cantered in with the clean, dry clothes, spat them on the bed and left again.

"Finally," Bryan said. He swirled his pointer finger twice in a circle and the curtain across the room closed. The clothes were still warm and felt terrific to slide on. Once again he laid back on his bed. It was incredible how tired he discovered he felt. He concentrated but couldn't really smell the darkness anymore. All was calm. Everything was ok. Within minutes he had dozed off.


	21. Rachel's Evening & Morning

Rachel curled up around her pillow with her kitten, Tatiana, snuggled in a fluffy ball under her chin. It felt good to be home. Merlin was safe, the witch was gone and tomorrow a new world awaited them. She could tell by the silence Bryan had fallen asleep. That sounded like a great idea, it was approaching evening so bedtime would be fast approaching anyway. Rachel knew she wouldn't go to sleep just yet. Unlike her brother, Rachel couldn't just let go and doze off. Even now, body desiring for rest, she could tell her eyes wouldn't stay shut even if she tried.

Tatiana batted her mistresses' cheek with a soft white-socked paw. Rachel tumbled her over and scratched her belly. Appealing as the idea was, she knew she couldn't kill hours just by coddling her precious fluff ball. Rachel glanced at her desk. Her thick, leather-bound journal lay right where she'd left it. That's what she'd do. Rachel rolled off her bed, Tatiana (who had gone boneless) in one hand like she was carrying a stuffed animal. Seriously, the kitten could go completely limp and could practically juggled before she would protest. She'd just look around blankly until the treatment was over.

Rachel went to the fireplace, activated a spell to get hot water going then sat in her chair and stroked the rose-embellished leather of her journal. In the upper left and lower right corners a large rose blossomed, surrounded by hummingbirds and tiny butterflies. She opened her journal to the next blank page. Her favorite quill pen had been enchanted so the ink wouldn't drip or make nasty blotches. She took the desk lamp from the top shelf and puffed at the unlit candle. The blow lit the flame. The mirrors inside the lamp created a bright, gentle glow. The enchanted tea tray brought over the hot water and bowl of cocoa mix. She mixed up her cocoa in her favorite clay mug, picked up her quill and began to write.

That first day on a new world. How she felt. The people she'd met. The name, Dancing Fire. Pixie Hollow and their magnificent gift. The feeling of sealing their first Keyhole.

Rachel continued writing until she was blinking so much to make her eyes focus it would be dumb to continue. Tatiana sat on the desk eyeing the end of the moving quill as Rachel wrote, batting it once in a while. Rachel closed her book. She looked to the door. It was getting late. Was Master Yen Sid still talking with Merlin? She doubted that. Even if he did have matters to discuss, Yen Sid wouldn't press them on one of his closest friends after they'd been through a great ordeal. She did wonder if he would want a word with them before morning.

Bryan never drew back the dividing curtain so her view of the window was blocked. There was no way to tell if the sun had already set or not. Rachel assumed it had. She blew out her lamp, left the empty cocoa mug on the desk, picked up her kitten and went to bed. Now she truly felt spent. She didn't bother putting on her nightdress. She was gone moments after she surrendered to the silky warmth of her bed.

* * *

Rachel woke in stages the next morning. Eventually she felt her mind was wide awake but her eyelids were still winning to fight to the death to stay shut. She had fallen asleep in a ball again, wrapped around her pillow. Judging by the warm spot by her stomach, Rachel guessed that was where Tatiana had nestled. She didn't fight the desire to keep her eyes closed. In fact she fell in and out of a light slumber a few times before her inner clock said it was time to get up.

Rachel opened her eyes. Light splashed across the floor. The curtain and window drapes were enchanted to open at a certain time every morning as sort of an alarm clock. The idea being the bright sunlight would wake them up. Not today though. Judging by the brightness, it had to be at least an hour after they normally would've had to get up. Rachel gently rubbed her kitten awake before getting out of bed. She took one of the antique brushes from her vanity desk across the room and pulled up her hair. Bryan, as she suspected, was still asleep. No matter. She'd just leave Tatiana in the room with him. The attention hog would find him soon enough and demand to be cuddled. Even he couldn't sleep through a wad of fur in the face.

Rachel went down to the kitchen extremely hungry. All she had for dinner was a cup of tea and a piece of toast and closed the night with a cup of hot chocolate. Like most everything in the Tower the kitchen had an old, antique yet magical look. A long table sat in the middle that could easily sit ten people. As always everything had been already set. Rachel remembered the bewildered feeling she had for the first few days she had come to live there. She never saw another soul apart from Yen Sid yet everything everywhere was always prepared in one way or another. Meals were always prepared by the time anyone entered the kitchen. Laundry always cleaned and folded and absolutely everything everywhere was always nice and tidy. But that was also the point in her life where the idea of magic still took some getting used to.

Master Yen Sid rarely took meals with them but was in the kitchen that morning. He looked out the window, deep in thought.

"Good morning," She said.

He turned and smiled. He didn't look at all surprised her brother wasn't with her. Rachel looked at that morning's spread. A pitcher for milk, orange juice and fruit juice. A small plate of bacon and another of sausage. A tray of toast and assorted jams and jellies. A bowl of strawberries and another of miscellaneous fruit. And finally a platter of very large assorted muffins and butters. As always two plates were set out for everything. So she helped herself to a few strips of bacon, two sausage links, a tall glass of cold milk and the largest apple-cinnamon muffin in the pile.

"I trust you have regained you strength since yesterday."

"Much. But eating will help." Rachel cut her muffin in half and spread a light amount of butter inside each half. "Did Merlin go home last night?"

"He did. I of course offered him a room here so he did not have to make the journey home but he insisted the best comfort for recovery was in his own bed."

Rachel understood that logic completely. If she had slept anywhere else but her own bed last night she knew she wouldn't have felt so good now.

"I suspect you both intend to continue your journey today?"

"I was thinking immediately after lunch. I did want to see Merlin before we left. Hopefully that would allow plenty of time for him to have gotten his rest." Oh great, a piece of bacon got stuck between two teeth in a place that was hard to fish out with the end of a tongue.

Yen Sid nodded. "Merlin did say he wished to see you before you left."

Rachel drained half of her glass. "So?"

"Hm?"

"No comment about the darkness we'd gotten splashed with yesterday? I sure do."

Yen Sid twirled a lock of his beard around a long finger. "How are you feeling?" He asked simply.

Rachel swallowed a bite of her muffin. That kind of question in itself implied there might be something to feel bad about, implying he was concerned they might in fact be affected by it.

"So far I feel fine."

Yen Sid raised an unbelieving eyebrow at her.

"Really, I felt icky with it all over me but otherwise there was nothing. Getting cleaned up helped a lot. Apparently darkness comes off with sweet pea scented soap."

Yen Sid chuckled then was silent for a while. The silence made Rachel nervous. Did he really expect something to happen? Were she and Bryan in danger because of their exposure with that much darkness?

"Master?" She finally asked. "Should Bryan and I be worried?"

"I really couldn't say." Yen Sid answered. "One might assume being touched by so much pure darkness at once would immediately corrupt or damage a heart. That it would plunge a knife into the existing darkness within a heart and gouge open a wound that would allow more darkness to pour in. Or that it might plant just a seed of pure darkness to be awoken by causes unknown. Or, perhaps, as it seems most of the contact appears physical; there may be no adverse effects a'tall. From what I have seen, you both have strong hearts. It is possible, and I am confident your own light may have shielded you from any serious damage. After all, although hearts can change, the Keyblade does not take the choosing of its master lightly. It you two did not have what it takes to stand up to the darkness, I'm sure you would still be trying to occupy yourselves in Hollow Bastion."

Rachel stared at her plate. She still had an uneaten sausage and the top of her second muffin half left. She ate her muffins from the bottom up because the tops were soft and moist and deserved being saved for last. But the uncomfortable prickle growing in her stomach warned her that so much as one more bite would be most unwise.

Basically what Master Yen Sid was saying was he didn't know. Rachel hated it when he didn't know. That wise old wizard seemed to know everything. His library was the size of the city square back home with a ceiling as tall as a two-story building. He claimed to have read all of them at least once and remembered everything he'd ever read. And it wasn't like Yen Sid was a spring chicken anymore. He'd obviously been around the block a few times and learned countless things from experience and other people from other worlds. For him not to know would be falling off the map and having the lights turned off with monsters breathing down your neck.

Sure, he did offer words of comfort and reassurance. But there were times when Rachel really couldn't tell if he truly meant what he said or not. He would never deliberately put them in danger, she knew that for certain.

"What do we need to do in case you're wrong." Rachel could cut to the quick of a matter if she really wanted to. She trusted Yen Sid's wisdom and instinct but the growl of self-preservation within her would not keep quiet. If there was a chance her heart had somehow been stained with darkness that was not her own, she wanted to know how to get rid of it.

Rachel had understood for a long time that light and darkness had to coexist. She always remembered that one cannot go outside on a sunny day and not cast a shadow. But that shadow doesn't hurt anyone or anything. It can cover people or things but cannot harm them. Yet it has to exist. The only way to get rid of a shadow is to take away the light. But then you would be lost in night. She accepted her shadow a long time ago. It made sense and she never felt ashamed of or feared it. As far as she could tell, it never hurt anyone and hadn't affected her heart in any bad way.

But the darkness that touched them yesterday belonged to someone else. Maybe it wasn't even the darkness within Mim's heart but just power she called upon in hopes it would do her bidding. Pure darkness. Free and answering to no one. Rachel refused to be tainted by someone else's poison. If her heart was to blacken, it would be because of her own doing. Her own choices. Good decisions. Bad decisions. Betrayals, lies, disloyalty. Rachel couldn't imagine herself ever doing anything intentionally malevolent to anyone, but if she ever did, it would be because she chose it, not because the influence of darkness that was not her own.

In the midst of this heavy contemplation Rachel had a whimsical thought. What if Peter Pan's shadow was the manifestation of the darkness in his heart that he had accepted and perfectly coexisted with? It could be independent, playful and mischievous but ultimately the two were one. Yeah, she could be totally off the mark, and probably was but it was still interesting to think about.

Yen Sid sighed heavily.

"Be aware of your heart. Be cautious of actions that may cause darkness within you to grow. I'm afraid awareness is the only weapon I can offer you now. If you know your heart well, you will know if anything changes. For good or ill depends on you. But if you stay aware of the workings of your heart, you should be able to tell if a change is because of your own doing or not. I should have had you and your brother focus on awareness much sooner."

"That's ok. Not even you could predict all things at all times."

Yen Sid chuckled at her understanding.

"Why don't you go wake your brother. He needs to hear this too. And I'm sure he has questions of his own."

"On it." With a bit of her appetite back, Rachel took the remainder of her muffin with her to finish on her way upstairs.


	22. The Next World

Upstairs the siblings nearly ran into each other. Rachel was going into the room as Bryan came out. Bryan gave her a quick glare of distain. He had Tatiana (who had gone as limp as a cooked noodle) in one hand with the same care as holding a sack of fruit. He gently tossed the kitten at his sister.

"You're cat woke me up this morning."

"I'm sure she was gentle. And don't throw my baby!"

"I'll do whatever I want."

For all his teasing Bryan would never do anything that would harm or terribly frighten his sisters cat.

"Master Yen Sid's in the kitchen. He wants to talk to you."

"Kay. What's for breakfast?"

"Bacon, sausage, toast, and milk." Rachel only listed the things she knew he'd eat. "There might've been a chocolate chip muffin."

He smiled like a greedy child and left. Rachel snuggled Tatiana and went inside. After Bryan had breakfast they would go see Merlin. Maybe she'd spiff up the house a bit before they left. Rachel sat back down at her desk and finished the previous night's entries, Tatiana curled up in her lap. When she finished, Rachel leaned back and sighed, absentmindedly stroking her baby's head.

"Hey, Tatiana," She whispered. Rachel got up and stood in the middle of the room. "Want to see something really cool?"

And Tatiana the tower cat got her first flying lesson.

* * *

Bryan knocked on the wooden door to Merlin's cottage then walked in, Rachel close behind. That morning he had spoken to Master Yen Sid about many of the same things his sister had. Was the darkness from Madam Mim something to worry about? Yen Sid found it interesting Bryan was able to smell the darkness when his nose seemed to reject everything else.

Merlin was sitting by his fireplace in his usual high-backed chair. He looked a little tired still but much of the usual spark had returned to his eyes.

"You're here, good, good. Please, sit down. I was hoping to meet with you before you left. "

"Master Yen Sid told us you did." Bryan said.

"We would have come anyway. You don't think we'd leave without saying goodbye, did you?"

Merlin smiled. "Well I would certainly hope not."

Merlin insisted they tell him about their first adventure. Neverland was a place he thought he could never go. He was just too old. And he was thrilled to hear about Pixie Hollow. Merlin knew all sorts of things but Pixie Hollow appeared to be a very closely guarded secret.

"And the fairies rewarded you with pixie dust, you say? Such a mysterious magic."

Rachel took off her dust pouch and handed it to Merlin. The old man adjusted his spectacles on his long nose then took a pinch of the dust and examined it closely.

"Fascinating," He mumbled. "Marvelously fascinating."

Merlin took the pinch to a table and looked at it under his microscope. He examined it carefully for a while, murmuring all the while how incredible it was.

"Might I keep a sample of this magic?"

"Sure." Rachel said.

Merlin took another pinch of dust and put it in a tiny vial. "And to thank you for parting with this special substance, I think I can do something with this."

Bryan saw his sisters eyes sparkle with glee and wonder. It was like watching a six-year-old child being presented with a very large gift. Merlin had the same childlike glimmer.

"What are you about to do?" Bryan asked, a coy smile spreading slowly across his lips. He knew the old man had something fun in mind. Merlin's tricks were always fun.

Merlin chuckled as he looked around his shelves for something. He waved a hand to get them both to his main table. The gift was for Rachel but Bryan was just as curious about what the plan was. Merlin put down a blue sphere crystal the size of a walnut down on the table. Well that was a nice gift. Bryan knew (as did most of the people who knew anything about Rachel) his sister had a thing for things that sparkled. Their mother used to say she must have been a crow in a past life. But by the existing sparkle in Merlin's eyes, the sphere wasn't the whole gift.

Merlin took another large pinch of the pixie dust and sprinkled it over the sphere.

"Hickity pickity hoggety pum! Hoggeldy poggeldy figitus, mum! Prestidigitorium!"

The dust poured over the sphere, making it float. Only the excess dust did not disappear. It flowed and twirled around the sphere and glowed brightly. Then, they became solid gold bands around the sphere with the orb floating inside. The ornament hovered in midair.

"Oh yes. Yes, yes. This worked nicely." Merlin chuckled and picked up the jewel. "This, my dear, is for you."

Rachel took it with a bright smile, too joyous about her new bauble to speak.

"What is it?" Bryan asked. "A necklace charm?"

"I'll need a chain then." Rachel said, holding the trinket up to the firelight.

"Like this?" Merlin offered her a short length of fine gold chain. One end had a loop and the other a clip.

"A bit short, isn't it? The charm's too big to be on a bracelet." Rachel said.

Merlin chuckled again. Bryan gave him a soft punch in the arm.

"What is it you know that you're not telling?"

"That, my friends is not a jewelry charm. It is a keychain for her Keyblade."

Rachel held her hands together in front of her mouth and giggled in a this-is-too-good-to-be-true sort of way.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Merlin said excitedly. "Go on, go on."

Rachel threaded the chain through the loop of the charm. Then the clip through the loop of the chain. She let it drop and the loop tightened. Once clipped to her Keyblade, it could never fall off. Rachel called forth Moonlit Majesty. She looked it over fondly, but was just as eager to see what this new charm would do. She unclipped the bright ribbon with the winged star. Moonlit Majesty faded into the intricately woven metal of the original Keyblade, No Shortcuts, the blade that split in two when they pulled it from the stone. With everyone holding their breath, she clipped on the new keychain.

In a flash of gold, sparkly light the Keyblade transformed. The new blade was beautiful. The shaft and the intricate pieces of the key's head were bright gold that sparkled magnificently, as though pixie dust were flowing and moving just beneath the surface of the metal. The jewel at the end was shaped like an inverted teardrop and was the same blue as the orb in the keychain. Pale green vines entwined themselves around the entire length of the Keyblade and twisted around each other to form the outer parts of the handle. The hilt looked like two spread fairy wings with a rose between them. This Keyblade wasn't as long as Moonlit Majesty but equally as magnificent.

Rachel laughed in amazement when she saw it.

"By Jove, isn't that a sight?" Merlin said, cleaning off his spectacles to make sure he was seeing it properly.

"It's so…light." Rachel said in awe. She swung it around a few times with great ease.

Bryan was surprised her mentioning its weight was the first thing she said about it. He was sure he wouldn't be able to handle having a weapon that glittery but even he had to admit it was pretty incredible.

"What are you going to call it?" He asked.

She didn't answer right away. For a moment Bryan wondered if she'd even heard him. When she spoke, she was speaking more to the Keyblade then anyone else.

"I think I will call you…First Laugh. Pixies are born when a baby laughs for the first time and this blade was made from pixie dust."

"Splendid! You be sure to treat it well. I'm sure it wi-"

Rachel cut him off with a grateful hug.

* * *

Rachel skipped through the forest as they went back to the tower, swinging her new Keyblade around like a magic wand. When they returned to the tower she just had to show it off. Bryan asked Yen Sid how they could get new keychains. The most common way was when an object became infused with magic or emotions. Happiness, triumph, elation, sorrow and many more, or even a combination thereof could be the triggers that can transform even the most mundane objects into beautiful items usable by the Keyblade. Whatever went into creating the keychain affected the strengths and abilities of the Keyblade it created.

"I trust you are both ready to continue your quest?" Master Yen Sid asked as they all descended the stairs.

"Going to call Hermes now." Bryan said.

Yen Sid nodded. "Very good. There are still a great many worlds which are plagued by the Heartless. Go now. There is a matter I must attend to."

Master Yen Sid said good-bye and left them at the bottom of the stairs. Bryan went through the door first and held it open for his sister. They went down the tower steps to the small lawn. He called for Hermes. Within a minute a blue light zigzagged across the sky.

The next chapter was about to unfold.


	23. I Think We're At The Circus

"Kay kids, you know the drill. Just give a shout when you're ready to move on. And hey, pick somethin' up for me, would ya?"

"Will do, Hermes." Rachel said with a smile and salute. "Any preference?"

"Surprise me." He said with a smile.

The blue man bowed and in flash was gone.

"You know," Bryan said. "I don't think he's ever told us how he can cross between worlds."

"Ever consider having godlike powers and being the messenger of the gods may be a contributing factor?"

"Eh," Bryan shrugged. That was probably all there was to it. Still, would be kinda neat to know for certain. He wondered if Hermes would ever take them to his world. Hermes was blue, wore a toga and could fly faster than anything because of wings on his heels. If even half the residents of his world were that interesting, it was a place they definitely had to see one day.

Bryan looked around. They'd been left in the center of a large field. The sky was perfectly clear, save for a few puffy clouds. The grass felt thick and soft underfoot. A tickling breeze kept bright sun from feeling too hot.

To their right looked like a little town less than a mile away. This world was very different from Neverland. Not that Neverland hadn't been wonderful, but the familiarity of real houses gave reason to smile. But there was something going on to the left too.

The left was closer so that's where they went first. A long, colorful train rested on the tracks. The train looked somewhat like a child's toy. It certainly was colorful enough. Perhaps they'd broken down? No, there appeared to be some kind of bustle going on. Then again, a train in trouble would create a lot of bustle to fix it. Now very interested, they got closer. Upon closer inspection they noticed some of the cars weren't cars at all but cages and wagons. What was inside most of them was largely a mystery since heavy tarps covered their cargo. Neither Bryan or his sister could hear anything that would provide a clue as to what was inside.

The key bearers crossed the tracks and got a smack of vibrant colors right in the face. Striped tents were being put up all over the place. Large, colorful crates were being carted all over. Sparkly costumes covered with ruffles and adorned with fluffy plumes were laid out on tables. In one corner a large pipe organ sat atop a wagon. In another, a trailer full of instrument cases had its doors open and a few people were removing the cargo.

Across the meadow a ways long pieces of wood, metal bars, long lengths of rope and a huge yellow tarp lay in the grass. Other, smaller but equally as bright tarps were piled up nearby. Something big was going on.

"Bryan," Rachel's smile outshone the sun as she realized what this place was. "I think we're at the circus."


	24. TheBigTop: Heartless Problem

Rachel rubbed her hands together with glee. If Bryan expressed his enthusiasm the way his sister did, he might have done the same. Still, it was exciting. A circus hadn't come to their home town in years. The last time it was there neither of them had the opportunity to attend. Even though he was very young, Bryan never forgot the reports he'd heard from others about how spectacular and wonderful the circus was.

Surprisingly, there wasn't as much activity as Bryan expected. There were a few people about but they all looked nervous, glancing over their shoulders all the time. That was weird. They went up to the first person they could find to ask what was up with everyone.

A bald man in a red vest and top hat muttered incoherently to himself. He fiddled with his black mustache nervously and paced about with terrible unease as though he were meeting the grim reaper. The poor man looked on the verge of a total nervous breakdown.

"Excuse me, sir." Rachel said cautiously.

_Wise move_, Bryan thought. _He looks about ready to be carted off in a rubber truck. _

"Oh!" He snapped out of his trance when she addressed him.

"Uh, hi. I'm Rachel and this is my brother Bryan. Who are you?"

"I am the Ringmaster, young lady. And I'm sorry children but I'm afraid the circus is not until tomorrow. That is at least I hope it will. Ooooooh!" He suddenly wailed. "Never before has this happened in my long and illustrrrious career as the ringmaster of the grrrrrreat and marvelous WDP Circus!" He rolled his R's a lot when he spoke.

"Why? What's going on?" Bryan asked.

"It is terrible! Just drrrreadful! In the long years I have slaved making this circus the brrright and shining star that it is have I ever been late for a show! But now," The Ringmaster took out a hankie from his vest pocket and sniffled. "My magnificent record is about to come to an unhappy end. I cannot risk the safety of my animals and my loyal performers just to keep the show going. But how it pains me to disappoint all the children and their families who have waited all year for this!"

"What do you mean 'risk their safety'? What's so dangerous?"

"Zat is the problem!" The Ringmaster exclaimed. He threw his arms up in exasperation. "I do not know what they are! No one does! They come out of the shadows and terrorize my workers! This town had a serrrious pest problem but no one seems to know how to get rid of them or capture them! My animals are terrified! My workers could get hurt. I cannot get my tent up by tonight if my workers cannot work!" He collapsed on a barrel, took off his top hat and dabbed his forehead with his sleeve. "What am I supposed to do?" He said weakly and blew his nose.

"Whoa! Wait, back up. Creatures that no one knows what they are?" Rachel asked. "Are they black?"

"Why yes, some of them are."

"And what do the others look like?" Bryan added.

"Well, some of them look like little men, only they don't act like people. But they don't act like animals either. At first we thought they were just children dressing up for the circus until things got out of hand." The Ringmaster's eyes lit up. "Why? Do you know what they are? What are they?!"

"We, um, kinda aren't supposed to tell." Bryan said. "But we do know what they are."

"And we can get rid of them." Rachel added.

The round little man nearly busted open his cummerbund trying to contain his delight over the news that was just too good to be true.

"You-you-you you could really-? Do you mean-? You would?" He couldn't finish a single sentence.

"_**Yes**_. We'll clear them out for you." Bryan said, afraid the man might hurt himself.

The Ringmaster jumped up with a hoot and a holler and shook Bryan's hand hard with both of his own. Bryan had to flex his fingers a few times to get the blood flowing again. The little man tried to spit out a proper 'thank you' but his excitement wouldn't allow it.

"We just need you to get everyone back on the train and out of the way." Rachel said. "We don't need anyone getting hurt because they're in the way."

"Yes! Yes! Oh yes! Whatever you need! I'll spread the word. Oh thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He skipped away, clicking his heels every other step.

"Was he crying?"

"I think so." Bryan could hardly blame him. He rarely ever cried for anything but could imagine it being appropriate when you were that happy and relieved. But now things would have to get serious.

"It's gotta be Heartless." He said.


	25. TheBigTop: Meeting Dumbo

Once the campsite had been cleared, Rachel and Bryan got to work. Rachel suggested they split up. The camp was sizeable but not so big they were out of shouting distance. At the center of the camp, Rachel went left, Bryan went right and made a wide arc around the perimeter. Then they came back to the center and each went the other way, picking up what the other may have missed, altogether creating a big figure-eight.

This place certainly did have a Heartless problem. One popped up behind every barrel, every crate and in every tent. Rachel and Bryan had to make the "8" three times before they didn't find anymore. Then they went around the train. Bryan started at the engine, Rachel at the caboose then circled it. Once again it took several rounds before no more Heartless could be found. They still made another round or two around the train and camp before finding the Ringmaster and telling him all was clear. The man broke down in tears of joy when they delivered the good news.

A great cheer from human and animal alike erupted from the train when the Ringmaster relayed the message. A great clamor thundered like an avalanche as the occupants of the train got off. Heavily muscled men led elephants and camels to the tent site and put them to work.

When the set up was in progress, the Ringmaster came to them, walking on air.

"This is wonderful! Absolutely stupendous! My men will have to work extra hard but the tent will be up by this evening! Everyone can prepare for the show and tomorrow morning's parade! This is spectacular! You saved my reputation and the children will be so happy. I cannot possibly thank you enough. If there is anything I can d-d-d-oh! Oh!" He danced about as an idea came to him.

He called for someone named Joe. A tall, gangly man with fuzzy, curly hair answered. The Ringmaster told him something and sent him off again. He skipped about excitedly while they waited. But whatever he had in mind he wasn't sharing. He had an awful lot of energy for a small, round man. Joe returned with something in his hand that the Ringmaster took .

"As a token of my apprrreciation and on behalf of the WDP Circus, it is my grrrreat honor and privilege to prrresent to you this marrrvelous gift."

He flourished something gold before them. Two, large golden tickets. In the center, the image of a circus tent. In the corners, an elephant on its hind legs.

"With these you will be welcome to any and all perrrrformances put on by this circus for life. You saved my circus so it is only fitting that you should be welcome to it for all time. Please, please, you are welcome anywhere at any time. Now, I have matters to attend to. Enjoy yourselves and I expect to see you at the show tomorrow! I have planned something very special that will be seen for the first time tomorrow evening!"

Marveling at how much someone could talk with so much flourish, and how just doing what they were destined to do once again granted them unexpected rewards, Rachel and Bryan explored the circus as it was being set up. Everyone wanted to shake their hand and thank them. If there was anyone who loved the circus more than children, it was the performers and the workers.

Rachel went to the holding pens first. She always loved animals and here she could see more than she ever had back home. Giraffes bent over their long necks to say hello and receive a pat. The pair had a baby who was taller than Rachel. It gave many kisses with its big lips in gratitude for the affection.

Nearly every animal pen she visited had a baby. A camel baby stood next to its mother, lazily chewing something. Tiger cubs tried to stick their heads through the bars of their cage to be the first one to get their ears scratched. The bear cub twins wanted attention too, but their mother was not going to let their bath time schedule be interrupted. The hippo baby was shy and wouldn't come out of the water.

Within an hour the big top was up. Its yellow color and domed shape kinda made it look like a gigantic loaf of bread. Rachel hadn't gotten a closer look at the elephants because they had been working. She'd heard of the world's largest animal before, but had never seen one and was excited to. But most of all Rachel wanted to see if there was an elephant baby too. Just about everything else did. And she bet an elephant calf would be really cute.

Rachel entered the tent where the eight elephant cows were resting from the labor of raising the big top. She stood at the entrance, just looking in awe at the great beasts. None of them had noticed her yet. These things weren't violent, right? Even the tigers acted more like pussy cats than fierce masters of the jungle. They were all eating at a large pile of hay. Then, one noticed her. The others turned to see what had gotten their herd mates attention. The one that had seen her came in Rachel's direction. The elephant had a cloth maroon headpiece with tassels and matching blanket across her back. She held her head high and looked down on Rachel with a gaze of authority. This must be the herd's matriarch.

A puff of whimsy floated through Rachel's brain and made her think that if Master Yen Sid had a wife, and that wife was an elephant, this is exactly what she'd look like. Old and in charge. Why this thought made it all the way to completion was a mystery but amusing all the same. She did stop herself before she began imagining what Master Yen Sid would look like as an elephant. She'd never be able to get rid of that one if she hadn't .

Rachel tried an elegant, respectful bow. The elephant liked that. She in return and allowed Rachel to enter. Rachel was ecstatic. The elephants allowed her to stroke their trunks and scratch behind their ears. They liked getting spoiled. Rachel glanced around their ankles. None of them appeared to have a baby. Disappointing, but there was nothing she could do about it. She said good-bye and left the tent, looking for where Bryan went. A few tents down, a _thwump_! sort of sound got her attention.

"Don'cha worry about that one! You'll get it down flat in now time. Ready to try again?"

A tiny voice was talking to someone inside a storage tent. Rachel heard a scurry of footsteps then a _spreek_ sound, like the protesting groans of a big spring. Curious, Rachel pulled the tent flap back a bit. At first she didn't see anything so she went in.

"Dat one was much betta! Keep your head up so your ears don't get in the way. C'mon! One more time!"

Rachel stared silently, barely believing what she was seeing. There was a baby elephant after all! Astoundingly, a mouse standing on a barrel was instructing it! Not until she was looking right at it and it spoke again did she believe what she was hearing, even then it was a stretch. The mouse was actually talking! She was so flabbergasted by the miracle she laughed out loud. The elephant calf skidded to a stop in the middle of its charge to a flat piece of wood with a spring under it. The mouse dove behind the barrel.

"No, no, no! I'm sorry! Please, you don't need to be scared! Come back!"

The baby elephant watched her, not sure what to do. It had to be the cutest thing she'd ever seen. Carefully she got closer and dropped to her knees when she got as close as she dared. She didn't want to frighten the baby. The calf looked over its shoulder for the mouse, still not certain what it should do.

"It's ok," Rachel said kindly. She offered a gentle hand. "You can trust me, I won't hurt you."

The baby took several slow, curios steps toward her, its trunk outstretched. At last it was practically in her lap, sniffing with its trunk and happy to get petted. Rachel felt like she could explode any second with sheer giddiness.

"You have got to be the cutest thing in the world." She ran both her hands across the little head. The elephant shrugged bashfully. She giggled. "And just look at these ears! They're-"

The calf pulled back and covered his face with his ears. A look of shame recognizable by anybody.

"Oh no! No, no, I'm sorry. I mean they're cute!"

The baby parted his ears just a little.

"I mean it," Rachel spread his ears wide. "They're like a great big kite and make you look adorable."

The baby elephant looked up at her with a very clear smile. Those sparkling blue eyes and face alight with a smile, Rachel couldn't take it and snuggled him close in a big hug.

"You are just too sweet!"

"You really tink so?"

Rachel looked up from her snuggling. That was the same voice from before. The mouse had come out from his hiding place. He dressed a lot like a drum major. She wasn't going crazy. The little guy was actually talking.

"I keep tellin' 'em he shouldn't listen ta what people say about those ears. Hear that, pal? She likes your ears too."

Rachel stared at the mouse that had re-emerged on the barrel.

"So I'm not going crazy. You really can talk."

"Course! Most animals can. Just most peoples don't knows how to listen."

Rachel cataloged that for the future. Maybe she could understand all animals from now on now she knew she had to pay attention.

"So what are your names?"

"My name's Timothy. Timothy Mouse and this here is my pal Dumbo."

"He doesn't talk?"

"Nah, but he's still liddle."

"So is one of the elephants in the tent his momma?"

The atmosphere suddenly became still. Dumbo looked very sad, sad enough to the point of tears. Rachel realized she'd stepped on a mine without meaning to.

"What did I say?"

"None of dose odda elephants want anything to do with 'im. Dey tink, even for an elephant his ears aren't normal. Ye, see," Timothy said with a sad sigh. "A little while ago some kids teased Dumbo cuz of those big ears and that made his mudda angry. She went a little crazy tryin' to keep him safe and everybody thought she was mad and dangerous. She's not dangerous. Mrs. Jumbo is just a great mudda who can't make people undastand how special her baby is."

"That's awful. Where is she now?"

"Dey keep her in a special train car away from everyone. Dreary place with 'mad elephant' signs all around."

Dumbo sniffed and his eyes got very misty. Rachel's heart broke. A poor little baby who couldn't be with his mother. Rachel wrapped herself around Dumbo, trying to offer as much mother-like warmth and comfort as she could. She was afraid to ask how long Mrs. Jumbo had been locked up and Dumbo had been without the warmth of someone who loved him. It was great Timothy was his friend but a mouse couldn't give an elephant a very good comforting hug. Dumbo snuggled himself into her embrace and wrapped his little trunk around her upper arm as best he could. He sniffled and shed a few fat tears. It took all her strength for Rachel to not look at him for fear she'd break down and start crying to. If it was one thing her compassionate heart couldn't stand was someone looking miserable. Especially when that someone was an adorable baby elephant without a mother.

"Hey," Rachel said gently. "I think I might be able to help."

Dumbo looked up at her. His eyes were still moist but it was hope that made his eyes sparkle, not tears.

"My brother and I just got on the good side of the Ringmaster in a big way. When his mind isn't so focused on preparations for the big show, I'll talk to him about your momma. Kay?"

Dumbo pushed away from her and bounded in circles around the tent, trumpeting with joy all the while.

"You'd really do that!" Timothy was just as thrilled by the good news as Dumbo. Timothy tossed is hat in the air. "That's really swell of ya!"

"Helping people is what I love doing."

Dumbo bounced on the spring pad and went soaring across the tent. Timothy cheered.

"Your mudda's gonna be a free elephant soon and you're going te be colossal at the show tomorrow!"

"Dumbo's in the show? Isn't a little young?"

"Oh ho ho! You just watch! Dumbo here is gonna be the climax of the new act! Come to the show tomorrow night! You'll see!"

"I wouldn't miss it."


	26. TheBigTop: Before The Show

The opening day parade was a spectacular sight. The nearby town's main street was lined with hundreds of people. Banners had been strung across the rooftops across the street. Children laughed and cheered as the animals and the performers danced by. The Ringmaster sat tall and proud on a cheerful, dancing white horse.

The Ringmaster insisted they join the show. They were not given any room to argue. The costume director shooed them into the dressing tent and told them to help themselves to whatever they wished. An assistant stayed with them to help out. When they came out, the siblings barely recognized each other.

Rachel changed her hair. She still had it pulled back like she usually did, but the ponytail had been tied up with a length of her own braid instead of a ribbon. Another braid was pinned up behind her bangs with a purple bow. On her left hand from wrist to elbow a purple ribbon had been crisscrossed and tied with a bow. Her top was squared off with pink trim. It was sleeveless except for a ruffle of blue, feathery material. The skirt was pleated with purple and blue with many fluffy petticoat layers underneath. A large pink bow was sewn on the back. Her shoes were knee-high lace-ups with tiny pink bows at the top. Rachel had never been comfortable wearing skirts so she had put on blue tights underneath.

Bryan wore a black silken shirt and pants. The shirt had baggy peasant sleeves and had a blue undershirt beneath it. The front V'd deeply and a string crisscrossed over the space between. The belt was studded with silver and blue rhinestones and his shoes were black and shiny. This had to be the most well-dressed he'd ever been in his life.

What astounded Rachel the most was his hair. The costume assistant had combed it back. He actually looked quite handsome. Even being his sister she couldn't deny that. Still, it was shocking to witness with her own eyes that it was possible to tame the bush. His hair had always been naturally layered and mildly curly and he never really brushed it.

They were given the honor of walking behind the Ringmaster. At first they were concerned using their Keyblades in public wasn't a good idea. Then again, these people were expecting the strange, amazing and impossible; they wouldn't know it was really magic and not a convincing side-show act.

Bryan amazed with his favored saw blade attack. He sent his keyblade off immediately calling upon fire so it spun in a swirling blade then came back. He threw it in all directions, high and low and the crowds cheered when he effortlessly caught it again. A few times Bryan even got a little cocky and snapped it up without even looking at it. He alternatively used Fire and Thunder. One toss, a blazing fireball, the next a net of yellow sparks.

Rachel showed off all the ways Blizzard could be used. With a swish of her keyblade, a thin sheet of ice formed for about six feet which she would slide on. As soon as she stepped foot off it, it melted so no one behind her would trip. Waving First Laugh like a conductor's wand, a fine cluster of ice crystals floated overhead creating a glittery cloud. As the sun melted the crystals, the mist left behind fleeting images of rainbows. Perhaps the favorite, especially amongst the children was the fireworks of ice. With a mighty swing, like the finishing move against an enemy, ice crystals shot out above the audience then exploded in fine puffs of snow. Children squealed with delight and tried to catch the fat flakes.

An army of red and blue clad marching band performers followed behind the Ringmaster and made the most wonderful din. The sun flashed across the brass section like the sparkles from a magic spell. Symbols cracked and a heavy drum sounded like thunder.

Four decorated zebras had been harnessed to a wagon that held a drowsy lion. In another wagon three lazy tigers dozed through the sounds of the parade. A hippopotamus carted the pipe organ they had seen the day before. Behind her, a troop of ornamented camels and their riders walked at a proud, lazy pace. After that came everyone's favorite, the bustling, lively clowns.

Then, at last, there came the crowned jewels taking up the rear. The elephants. Each wore a bright headdress dripping with colorful tassels and had a vibrant blanket cloaked down their backs that reached their ankles. They held their heads high with pride.

As the parade circled back, ready to return to the circus, the Ringmaster signaled the band to stop the music. He announced the time of that afternoon's show. In the meantime, the sideshow tents would be open within the hour for public viewing.

As the procession got closer to the camp the groups started dispersing. People went off to change into their costumes for the performance, make the final checks and prepare the animals. Others went immediately to work making sure everything was ready for when people started coming for the sideshow acts.

Rachel and Bryan stood off to the side and watched it all happen. Rachel had been keeping an eye for Dumbo. She'd told Bryan about him and Timothy and was hoping to introduce them. But for some reason she couldn't find him anywhere. She expected him to be with the other elephants but he wasn't.

"Seen your friend yet?" Bryan asked.

"Not yet. Timothy did say he had a big role to play in the show tonight. Maybe he spent the morning practicing."

They walked together, Keyblades at their sides. On more than one occasion, the circus folk who had seen their performance in the parade suggested, asked and even begged they stay on and join the show.

They were welcome anywhere in the circus and they saw everything. Balloons. Streamers. Garments covered in sequins and glitter and frills. Clowns practiced their juggling and magic tricks. Performers prepped with trick horses and dancing dogs. Trapeze artists and contortionists warmed up and stretched before their acts. They followed the posters to see "The World's Largest Trained Fish" as well as "Stormy the Dancing Whirlwind" and "Claud The Colossus".

Once Rachel and Bryan got their fill on popcorn, salted peanuts, lemonade and baked cinnamon apples they continued their search for Dumbo and Timothy.

"C'mon, this is the direction of the tent I found them in yesterday." Rachel said, munching her last apple slice. "Maybe-"

"Get down!"

Startled, Rachel instinctively dropped. She looked up in time to see the end of the Bass Blade swing over her head through a black cloud. Immediately afterward First Laugh was back in her hands.

"I think that was the only one." Bryan said although he hadn't dropped his battle stance.

"But I didn't hear anything. Where did it come from?"

"That was just a Shadow. I think it crawled from beneath the tent flap until it was above us before it became solid again. That's why we didn't hear it appear. It didn't just materialize, it was already here."

"And with all the hearts that will be coming through soon…"

Their job was not done yet. And they probably wouldn't be making it to the show that night.


	27. TheBigTop: Tent Collapse

Once again the key bearers had to split up to cover as much ground as possible. People had been showing up for a while. The show would start within the hour. And the Heartless were showing an interest.

The greatest challenge for Rachel and Bryan was to defeat the Heartless without drawing attention to themselves. The last thing they needed was to have a panic on their hands if the townies figured out they were in the presence of real monsters. The last thing the Ringmaster needed was to have a terrified mob stampede out shortly before the big show.

The more people crowded into the big top, the more Heartless began showing up outside. They were like circling sharks. The closer it got to show time, the more worried the key bearers became. Yes, they were on a very important mission but they were looking forward to seeing the show. Now everyone could be in danger if they couldn't get the Heartless' numbers down.

"Now I won't be able to see Dumbo's act." Rachel said, disappointed. "And I told him I wouldn't miss it."

"Maybe if we work hard we can jump in real quick for you to watch then get back outside."

There were a lot of stressful things to think about at once and Bryan didn't like it was beginning to frustrate him.

Air Soldiers had to be struck down before they got too high. Soldiers ran around like madmen. Two kinds of monkey Heartless caused all kinds of trouble. Red Nocturnes worried them the most. What would they do if they set the tent on fire? If they could count their blessings on one thing it was that so far no big Heartless had appeared.

At every entrance Rachel jumped inside to see what was going on. Both to make sure the Heartless hadn't gotten inside and to see if the elephants were performing yet. Eventually she had to resign to fact there were just too many Heartless to watch out for to take the time to watch the show.

"Anything?" Bryan asked when they crossed paths again. Much like with the train the day before they circled in opposite directions.

"Nothing going on inside. But the Heartless aren't letting up. There's no way I'll be able to watch Dumbo's act unless they stop now. Of course that won't happen."

And it didn't. The Heartless appearances did ease up but not enough either of them felt comfortable with stopping. When Bryan circled around to his sister again they used Cure on each other. They took a moment to breathe before getting back to work.

"This is stupid." Bryan muttered to himself. "Yeah they're easy but there are so freakin' many."

Suddenly the trumpeting scream of an elephant shattered the crisp night air. It was shortly followed by screams of people. Elephants and people alike were screaming in panic.

_Heartless_! Bryan thought first.

He sprinted to the nearest exit but he couldn't get through. A deluge of shouting, terrified people thundered out, there was no way he could push through against the flow. Not wanting to be seen but not seeing any other option, Bryan leapt in the air from a running jump and flew to the top of the tent. He'd seen it when he watched the workers set up. Three huge poles were the focal points of the tent. But the ring of tent fabric didn't meet up to the pole completely. Maybe there was enough space he could squeeze inside and find out what was going on. From inside something made a sickening crack. Elephants continued screaming. Another crack followed shortly after the first. Then Bryan realized what had made that sound. The support poles had been snapped! The tent was collapsing!

Bryan dove purely because of defensive reflex but there was no way he could pull the entire thing back up by himself and his brain blanked for any spells that might help. At least everyone seemed to have gotten out alright. But now Bryan was stuck. He couldn't just land. The tent had flattened and there were people all over. Unsure of what else to do he flew higher and higher, not stopping until his ears felt like they'd pop. Bryan made a very wide loop and descended in a spiral outside the camp. He saw a pinprick of light among the tents and flew to it, recognizing it as a light from a Keyblade. He had to be quick. If she could spot him she might not be the only one.

If Bryan had watched a little longer, he might have seen a tiny white flag stitched with the letter D waving feebly from between a tear in the tent.

"Did everyone make it out ok?"

"From what I could tell no one was hurt. We need to help them get the tent back up. I think the elephants are still inside.

"Do you have any idea what did that? Did a Heartless get in and scare the elephants? Was it the Heartless that collapsed the tent?"

"I have no idea. I was circling when I heard and elephant scream then everything turned to chaos. Too many people were exiting and shouting at once. I couldn't hear anything and didn't get a chance to look inside. But once the people started coming out I didn't see any more Heartless."

They looked around at the damage done. After a few minutes Rachel spoke up first.

"This would probably be a really bad time to ask the Ringmaster to release Dumbo's mother."

* * *

Bryan finally got to meet Dumbo. He, Rachel, Dumbo and Timothy hid in a tent away from everyone else. Turns out the only ones hurt in the ordeal were the adult elephants and they were being tended to. Dumbo was a little bruised but otherwise unharmed. Timothy explained how the act was supposed to work. The adult elephants constructed a tower that Dumbo would jump on a springboard to the top of for a great finish. But as he ran down the runway to the board his big ears tripped him up. Dumbo tumbled off the springboard and crashed into the ball the bottom elephant was standing on, causing her to spin out of control and the other elephants to topple. Two of them broke the support beams while trying to break their fall.

If anything good could be pulled out of a bad situation it was not the Heartless that caused all the trouble. Still, by the sounds of it (and the miles of gauze people were walking by with) the entire herd would be out of commission for a while. Rachel hid Dumbo when the Ringmaster walked by. Bryan got up and spoke to him as he passed.

"This is a disaster! A horrible disaster! This has never happened before! Never!"

Poor guy. One stress attack after another.

"We'll stick around to help out if you need it." Bryan said.

The Ringmaster looked as though he could have kissed him and showered him with thanks.

"You and your sister are trrruly life savers. I am scheduled for another show in the next town. If you can help me in any way I may be able to keep on schedule. And it is probably best you stay in case those creatures aren't just in this town."

"Good idea." Bryan agreed.

"Oh, and I-well I wouldn't want to impose but…"

"What?"

"Do you think it might be possible for you two to perform in the next show?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, it's just the elephants are unlikely to be completely recovered by the time the tent goes up again. And I will need something to fill the time. I saw your performance during the parade. You are quite the pair of magicians."

Bryan wasn't sure. If it wasn't just sitting with friends before a small audience playing music Bryan wasn't really the performing type. When he agreed to march in the parade he hadn't been given much option. Not that it hadn't been a lot of fun, but he thought it would be a one-time thing.

"I'll talk to Rachel about it." Bryan said. _Although I know she'll say yes._

"Marrrvelous!"

"And hey," Bryan said quickly as the Ringmaster was turning to leave. "What's going to happen to that little elephant?"

The Ringmaster huffed. "Well he certainly wasn't the climax I was hoping for. He will not be perrrforming with the other elephants until he grows up. An elephant that trrrips on its own ears! It's rrridiculous!"

Bryan cringed a little as he left. That didn't sound good. Still, at least he recognized Dumbo hadn't caused so much trouble on purpose. He went back and relayed the message to Rachel and the others. As he expected Rachel thought being a part of the show sounded like fun. She was more concerned with what kind of act they would have. Dumbo drooped like a daisy in October at the news concerning him. If he wasn't going to be in the elephant act, what would happen to him? Timothy did what he could to encourage him. Rachel did too but he still looked very blue. At the moment he still felt really low about the entire ordeal.


	28. TheBigTop: Dumbo's New Act

Four days later the circus arrived in the next big town. The trip hadn't exactly been a leisure ride. A Heartless or two would pop up now and again, terrifying the animals or people on the car where they showed up in. After the third day of staying on their toes, Rachel wondered aloud if there was a specific reason the Heartless were showing up. Yes, there were a lot of hearts on the train to draw them in but something still didn't feel quite right. What was it about this circus the Heartless kept coming back for?

Most of the elephants were still in slings and their black eyes hadn't faded completely. As the Ringmaster suspected, not enough of them were recovered enough to put on much of a show. That meant she and Bryan would fill the space.

Oddly, the events in the new town were nearly identical to the last one. Heartless started swarming within an hour of getting off the platform. Rachel and Bryan cleared them out and everything went smoothly. But that set in stone Rachel's theory there was something about this circus the Heartless were after. But apart from its draw of large crowds, the key bearers couldn't figure out what it might be. The animals seemed happy and tame. The elephants obviously had a grumpy grudge against Dumbo but the Heartless were already around before that kind of darkness shadowed their hearts. Neither of them could sense an obvious aura of dark energy from any of the performers either. Admittedly that skill was still developing so they kept open minds in case they were wrong. And both of them seriously doubted the Keyhole to a world would be found on a train or in a collapsible tent.

The morning after set up they performed in the parade again. The night before one of the assistant managers relayed the Ringmasters plan for their part in the show. They were to go on with the fire eaters and pyro dancers. The Ringmaster thought it would add a balanced flair if they were to do tricks with their Ice magic. But that concerned them too. They said they would help out in the show. But what if the Heartless swarmed around the tent like last time? Keeping them away after their act would be easy. Getting caught up in a fight beforehand risked their being late or going on stage visibly exhausted.

After the parade the clowns bustled about, very busy with something. The Ringmaster would only tell them it was the new clown act and that this time for absolute certain it would be a success without any snags. Just like last time, Rachel and Bryan split up while people were coming in for the sideshow. So far no Heartless. Rachel tried to find Dumbo and Timothy but had no luck. She even went back to search the train but found nothing.

Thankfully the Heartless swarm wasn't as bad as the last. The de ja vu of circling the tent over and over wasn't by any means fun but at least easy. Easy enough to jump inside and throw their Keyblades around and make snowstorms before getting out again to continue fighting. The trapeze artists would be up next, followed by the clowns and their new act. After circling the tent a few more times and finding no more Heartless, Rachel and Bryan went inside to rest and watch the show.

"Will you stop twitching?" Bryan said.

They stood at one of the wide aisle ways by one of the entrances so they could rush outside if they heard anything. Rachel kept shifting from one foot to the other.

"My feet hurt. I still haven't broken these boots in yet."

They'd stayed in their costumes the entire day to blend in and Rachel's heels were killing her. She wished she could sit down but they had to be ready to split at a moment's notice if need be. While the trapeze artists were finishing up, several stagehands were setting up something in the dark. The Ringmaster introduced the clowns and the lights came up. With the lights came a great whoosh of flames. A huge fake building had been constructed and it was on fire. A clown in a strange mask and bright costume came out wailing that her baby was still trapped in the building. Then again, it was probably a dude wearing fake breasts and using a squeaky voice.

Dozens of other clowns rushed on the scene dressed as firemen. They did all sorts of goofy stunts to put out the flames. The crowd thought it was a riot.

"Maybe I just don't have a thing for clowns." Rachel told her brother. "I mean, yeah, it's silly and amusing but not really side-splitting funny."

"Do they even have a baby up there for the act?" Bryan said, looking up and over the prop house.

"Probably some guy dressed in a bonnet and over-sized diaper will jump out with his rescuing firefighter in a minute. Those are real flames so it's not like they're that reckless to have-"

"Rachel."

"What?"

"I found the 'baby'."

"Really? Where?"

"You're not going to like it."

With two fingers on her chin Bryan directed Rachel's gaze upward. When she saw what he had Rachel gasped sharply and instantly both hands covered her mouth. Dumbo was in a window at the very top, his face painted and he had a rattle in his trunk. Just as Rachel noticed where he was, a line of clowns raced up a skinny ladder with water pails, only they deliberately splashed Dumbo in the face rather than on the flames.

"That is not funny!" Rachel said, a spark of rage sizzling in her gut.

By the look of it, Dumbo was having the same thoughts. Nobody liked getting splashed that much. What elephant liked heights anyway? And he was still just a baby! And that was real fire he was surrounded by. Then came the "grand finale". The clowns stood at the bottom of the house with a wide net and told him to jump. Rachel was horrified when he jumped. Actually, the way he fell she was almost certain he had been pushed. Rachel hid her face in her brothers shoulder. There was no way that net would be able to break the fall of a baby elephant.

But breaking the fall wasn't the idea at all. The net broke and Dumbo splashed into a big tub of thick white goop that looked like a combination of pudding and flour mixed with too much water. The crowd loved it. Rachel wanted to freeze them all to their seats. Dumbo tried to put on a brave front. Like a true actor the little elephant waved his rattle about and did his best. The audience only laughed harder. Broken hearted, Dumbo sunk a little into the goo, perhaps wishing to disappear.


	29. TheBigTop: Aftermath

"Rachel! Stop! You're not going to talk to the Ringmaster or those clowns like this."

It was like trying to calm a raging chimera while trying not to get ripped in half by all three heads but Bryan did manage to deter his sister from throwing clowns in front of the train. In a frustrated huff she stomped away. Bryan could only hope it was to find Dumbo and not chew out the Ringmaster.

This town was much larger than the last one so the circus had been booked for two nights. From the buzz around the camp, everyone thought the new clown act was a huge hit. Between the thoughts of the circus folk and the feedback from the audience the flaming house act would be on the schedule for tomorrow night. How he or Rachel would convince everyone the act had to change, Bryan wasn't sure.

The colors of the dusk had just begun to kiss the sky. Bryan decided to make the rounds again. With any (bad) luck tomorrow would be a carbon copy of the last. Might as well take his mind off seeing Dumbo pushed off a springboard thirty feet up again. But if he saw the Ringmaster he might as well try to make him change the show. The less time he had to change the show decreased the chance of a change happening at all. And Bryan figured he had a better chance of successfully changing the Ringmasters mind with a level head than his sister did unless she had a chance to cool down.

Sadly he was too late. When Bryan patrolled the tents, he overheard the clowns talking. They were over the moon about the popularity of the act. From the outside Bryan heard the clacking of glasses. Sounded like they were toasting the success of the act. That wouldn't have been so bad but they were discussing how they could make the act even better. Unfortunately their idea of improvement was increasing the platform from which Dumbo would jump. They were leaving in song on their way to talk to the Ringmaster to discuss improving the act and getting a raise while they were at it. Bryan was glad Rachel wasn't around to hear that. She might have thrown them in the cage with the lions and froze the lock shut.

As the sun began to set, the shadows began to flicker. Bryan could see Shadow Heartless shifting in the dark places but none of them materialized. Oddly though, Bryan could have sworn he could sense they weren't in attack mode. Were they searching? Or just waiting? Were they too focused on looking for the Keyhole to be concerned with anything else? An Air Soldier occasionally cast a silhouette across the sky but didn't dive in for the attack. Bryan could feel them all over. It was like being surrounded by fog. He breathed in deeply. There was darkness here for sure. But it wasn't as pungent as it was with Madam Mim. Still, it was something to be aware of.

Bryan casually patrolled the rest of the tents, and then the holding pens, main tent, circled the train then went around again for good measure. Night had completely fallen by the time he began his rounds for the third time. If he couldn't find any serious trouble by then he planned to go to bed. There was no point in depriving himself of sleep if the Heartless weren't causing any serious trouble.

He didn't engage any Heartless unless they were really close. No sense getting their attention and causing a big ruckus if the Heartless weren't the ones looking for a fight. But as the sun finally gave in to the night completely, something changed. The smell became more distinct. Like a bloodhound, Bryan tried to follow it. But more Heartless scurried in the dark as well. Were they the ones creating the darkness? Or were they being drawn to something? A very loud crack from across the camp answered his question.

Bryan sprinted across the camp, striking down any Heartless that got in his way. Maybe this could be the domino they were waiting for. Maybe now the pull of the darkness finally decided to show itself. They would defeat it, the Heartless would retreat, they could find the Keyhole in peace and move on to the next world. As much as he liked Neverland and the circus, Bryan never forgot this wasn't a leisure trip. There were countless of other worlds that needed defenders. As much as he liked making new friends and meeting new people, lollygagging could mean the destruction of another world.

The odor of darkness was obvious now. And its source was making a lot of noise. Bryan dashed around a corner and nearly ran into something. Something very big.

And something very angry.


	30. TheBigTop: Mrs Jumbo

Rachel tried to keep a lid on her fury. Her favorite method of not actually throttling anyone when she got angry was to imagine misfortune falling on those who made her upset. Right now she pictured all the clowns getting squished in a cannon getting blasted to the moon. Push a baby elephant from a burning building. She definitely had a few stern words to say about that.

But all that huffiness melted away in an instant when she rounded a corner and found Dumbo. Timothy was by his side with a soapy toothbrush giving him a scrub. He was showering Dumbo with comforting words and praise over his performance but Rachel could tell it was only an attempt to make him feel better.

"Ah! Rachel!" Timothy exclaimed when he saw her. "I was just tellin' Dumbo how terrific the act was! Wasn't he colossal? The clowns were making a big toast to 'im a minute ago. He was a big hit, wasn't he?"

Rachel couldn't answer. She knew that sometimes being showered with false praise when you knew how awful something had gone never helped. Besides, Dumbo was in tears already. Rachel sat next to Dumbo while Timothy continued the bath.

"I mean, uh…you were stupendous! A real success!"

Dumbo only sniffled.

"Really! You were-" Timothy stopped after Rachel gave him a look.

Rachel pulled Dumbo close. He accepted the snuggle but big fat tears still leaked out one after another. He looked positively miserable. Absentmindedly he plucked blades of grass with his trunk and sniffed. Rachel hugged him close. Dumbo cuddled into her embrace as far as he could.

"This isn't just about the show, is it?" She whispered, stroking the back of his smooth head gently.

Dumbo shook his head but didn't look up.

That must have struck something with Timothy because he snapped his fingers and laughed with glee.

"Oh boy! How could I have forgot? We're goin' to see your mudda! Didn' I tell ya? I made an appointment and everything. C'mon, getcha hat."

Dumbo's face lit up the darkening oranges and reds of the twilight. He put on a little yellow hat and Timothy jumped in for the ride. Rachel smiled at the clever mouse and mouthed, _Nice one_. He winked back.

Rachel went with them to the wagon where Mrs. Jumbo was kept. Signs were plastered all over and around it to beware of the dangerous mad elephant. Timothy scurried up to the barred window and announced to her she had a visitor. Dumbo was too short to reach the window but his trunk managed to tap the sill. Rachel looked around for something he could stand on but there appeared to be nothing that could work as a step.

A shuffling of heavy chains indicated Mrs. Jumbo had seen him. A few seconds later her trunk reached out of the window and felt around blindly for her baby. When she found him she tenderly stroked her trunk around his face, head and across his back as far as she could reach. Dumbo snuggled her tightly and shed tears of joy, but also tears of great sadness. This was the first time in a while he had felt her warm, loving touch and there was no telling when he would be able to see her face again.

Rachel tried hard but could not keep herself from crying. Even then she fought tooth and nail to keep it quiet. Her eyes burned but she only allowed maybe only one or two tears to fall free. Her nose prickled and she tried to keep sniffs as quiet as she could and breathed deep, heavy breaths in and attempt to not sob. This was Dumbo's moment. But it still broke her heart. A baby needs its mother. Any idiot should know that. And here this sweet calf couldn't even look his mother in the eye. And Mrs. Jumbo…Rachel couldn't imagine what she was going through. To be left alone, chained in the darkness, only with her own despairing thoughts for company. No idea if her baby was being taken care of. Not there to protect and comfort him if he wasn't. Comfortless nights longing for the warm softness of her baby. How she must have worried. How her heart must have ached. And even now, she couldn't see his face. To touch but not see. She couldn't look at him with the motherly smile that makes the world shine bright even when she doesn't feel that way herself.

Mrs. Jumbo held her calf in her trunk and swung him gently. The comforting rocking stopped the flow of his tears and he looked much more at ease. For a moment he looked as though he truly believed everything would be all right. But it wasn't to last. As the sun began to set and the evening stars started to glitter, it was time to say good-bye. Timothy coaxed a reluctant Dumbo away. Everyone in the circus should be asleep but just in case, better not risk being seen. Dumbo had his head turned back and waved with his trunk all the while until they rounded a tent corner out of sight. Mrs. Jumbo had done the same.

Rachel held back. Part of her wanted to just break down completely after witnessing such a heartbreaking sight. But a new fire burned that dried her tears. No despair. Resolve. Rachel got up close to the wagon and stood on tip toe to see in completely.

"Mrs. Jumbo?" She whispered. "Mrs. Jumbo?"

A shuffling of chains could be heard inside. In the starlight Rachel could see a large shape moving in the dark.

"Mrs. Jumbo, you don't know me but I'm a friend of Dumbo's."

The chains clattered again and Rachel could sense the atmosphere change.

"By brother and I have been keeping an eye out for him. That sweet little guy has a big heart, too bad it's so full of sadness. But I'm going to change that."

Mrs. Jumbo reached her trunk through the bars and gently held Rachel's hand as if to ask "How?"

"My brother and I are on good terms with the Ringmaster. I will do all that I can to make him change his mind about keeping you locked up. I promise."

Mrs. Jumbo held on tightly. Not in an angry or malicious way but shocked by such a light of hope. Rachel stroked her trunk reassuringly.

"I'll get you out and you and Dumbo can be together. I promise."

Rachel heard a sound like a happy sniffle and Mrs. Jumbo's trunk caressed her face. Never had a grateful thank you been so obvious.

"I have to go now, but don't worry, everything will be all right."

Mrs. Jumbo gave one last grateful squeeze and Rachel left. When she caught up to Dumbo and Timothy, Dumbo had resumed his sad tears. Timothy, being a good friend, tried to cheer him up.

"What would your mudda think, seeing you cryin' and all? Whats cryin' get ya anyhow? Nothin' but the hiccups."

Right on cue Dumbo hiccupped loudly. Rachel nearly laughed out loud. That was the most adorable sound.

"Der, ya see?"

Dumbo hiccupped again. Rachel giggled quietly and hugged Dumbo good-night.

"I'm going to make sure the camp is safe." She said. "You two best be off to bed, see if those hiccups aren't gone by morning. And Dumbo, remember, everything is going to be all right." Rachel kissed his head.

"Yeah! She's right! Everyting is gonna work out just fine. Let's see if we can't do somethin' about those hiccups first." Timothy said.

As Rachel left Timothy led Dumbo to a small water bucket. "Nothin' a little water won't cure" Rachel heard him say. Just like her brother had, Rachel saw Heartless around the camp but also picked up on they weren't on the hunt. She saw Bryan from a distance making rounds as well. They didn't cross paths and she wasn't sure he saw her. She made one complete round around the tents and train when she heard a great crash. A swell of darkness had just erupted somewhere nearby. She could sense it and smell it. Bryan dashed by and she followed. Something was making a very loud noise. She rounded the same corner her brother had and nearly ran into him. Rachel looked over his shoulder at what he saw and the sight froze her in her tracks.

It was Mrs. Jumbo!


	31. TheBigTop: Stop The Rampage

Mrs. Jumbo had broken free of her chains and her prison. The shackles were still around her ankles with maybe two or three chain links dangling uselessly from them. She shook her head and glared about furiously. Wisps of darkness fluttered around her eyes. It looked a lot like when Madam Mim had given her Heartless minions a power boost. She left a trail of deep footprints from her trampling. Several crates and buckets had been smashed to splinters. And by the look of it, wasn't about to stop. Bryan called his Keyblade immediately. Rachel grabbed him by the arm.

"Why are you stopping me? This Heartless will trample us!"

"It's not a Heartless! It's Dumbo's mother!"

"But she's the source of the darkness! You've got to have sensed that."

"I know but-"

Rachel stopped. There couldn't be a 'but'. That would go against what Master Yen Sid had tried so hard to teach them from day one. Only now she could see how much harder it could in fact be to battle a friend than family. If it have been an enemy? No sweat. Wouldn't have even blinked. But after that moment with her and Dumbo barely an hour ago…

As much as she hated doing it, Rachel steeled herself for the fight.

At first, Mrs. Jumbo didn't pay much attention to them. She stomped around angrily but little else. She didn't even pay attention to the Heartless that had begun appearing. A blue kind of monkey Heartless popped up behind every tent and barrel. A cloud of small Heartless that looked like Red Nocturnes only yellow swarmed from above like little electric bees. Terrific.

Bryan dove in first. He struck many times at Mrs. Jumbo's side before she noticed. Elephant hide was really tough after all. But she did take action. Mrs. Jumbo bellowed and turned to attack him. He didn't hesitate to strike her back. Rachel had no choice but to attack as well. But that only made the elephant angry.

"Mrs. Jumbo! Please stop!" Rachel cried. Perhaps she wouldn't have to fight her if she could get the elephant to listen. All she had to do was calm down before someone got hurt. The Heartless could be taken care of easily but Mrs. Jumbo had to be stopped before she destroyed the camp. But why? Sure, it had been the circus that had imprisoned her but why act now?

The elephant swatted Yellow Operas no differently than if they were flies. If she saw a Power Wild in front of her, sometimes she'd trample it, other times she'd wrap her trunk around it like a python and threw it as far as she could. Obviously she wasn't in league with them.

Bryan jumped high in the air and brought down a hard blow.

"She's the source of the darkness but why? What caused this?"

Rachel made a streak of ice on the ground, jumped on it and slid out of the way of the elephants flailing trunk.

"I don't know! Everything was fine when I saw her with Dumbo, a little sad but-."

Realization hit like a kick in the gut and she froze. This wasn't because of rage. It was brought on by despair. This wasn't a violent, senseless rampage. It was a search.

"She's looking for her baby!"


	32. TheBigTop: Ending The Fight

It all made sense now. It was the despair of a mother separated from her son that allowed the darkness to enter. The Heartless had probably sensed her anguish all along had had been following it. That had to be why they showed up wherever the circus went. Still, her rampage couldn't continue. Someone was likely to get hurt. She had to know Dumbo was ok. Maybe she would stop if she could be certain he was safe.

"Mrs. Jumbo! It's me! I told you I would take care of Dumbo and I will! I promised I would get you out and I will! But you have to stop!"

The elephant continued her charge, crushing everything in her path, items and Heartless alike. But the Heartless were hardly deterred from causing trouble.

"It's not working!" Bryan yelled.

Things got worse when Bouncy Wild's joined their rambunctious cousins. Mrs. Jumbo became angry when she lost her footing a time or two because of the banana peels they dropped. It didn't stop her but did slow her down a little. But not enough to stop what happened next. Power Wilds grew in numbers and became increasingly more difficult to avoid. As hard as they tried, the key bearers couldn't avoid all the stupid bananas either. Bryan didn't see the banana as he charged the elephant. Just like in a clown act, Bryan stepped on a peel and fell flat on his back.

The Power Wilds saw their opening and slid in all at once. Rachel had a cloud of Yellow Operas she was trying to dissipate before they both got fried so she couldn't be there to help him. Mrs. Jumbo had her eye on Bryan the second he slipped and began her charge right after.

"Mrs. Jumbo! Stop! Don't!" Rachel shouted.

But the elephant was beyond reason. Bryan was still pinned down by the Power Wilds who had not yet realized they were in danger too. Rachel struck down every Heartless she could as she tried to get to her brother.

"Stop! Mrs. Jumbo, please!" Rachel began to panic. Bryan was having a hard time getting up and the distance was closing fast. She could see his look of panic between the bouncing Heartless. Mrs. Jumbo trumpeted violently.

"Mrs. Jumbo!" Rachel shrieked. "Stop! Please just STOP!"

This wasn't going to happen. Bryan wasn't going to get trampled by that elephant. She had to get there in time. No Heartless was going to get in her way. But something was wrong.

Rachel skidded to a stop so fast she nearly fell over. Something very strange was happening. Everything had somehow frozen. Yellow Opera's stopped in midair. The balls shot by the Bouncy Wilds slingshots stopped moving. Power Wilds froze in mid-slide. Others, mid-jump or when doing that little wind-up thing they did with their arms. Mrs. Jumbo didn't even have all four feet on the ground. Bryan lay on the ground, shielding himself with his keyblade. He too wasn't moving. Everything had just stopped.

Rachel wasn't sure what to make of what was going on. Is this what going mad felt like? Everything except her wasn't moving. She hadn't done anything to her knowledge and didn't have a clue what could have caused something on this kind of scale. Rachel poked a Bouncy Wild. It didn't move. She picked up the ball that it had shot then let it drop. She beat the daylights out of a Yellow Opera but nothing happened. Odd, very odd. Rachel shook her brother. Nothing. Then a thought made her stomach drop to her feet. What if Bryan was stuck this way?

No, he was moving, just…very slowly. In fact, everything was. Millimeter by millimeter everything started moving again. Thunder from the Yellow Opera's started inching down like grass roots. Power Wilds slowly resumed their slide. Whatever had happened was coming undone. She would have to act fast. Rachel dropped her keyblade, hooked her arms under Bryan's and dragged him out of the way of the charge. Slowly but surely everything was resuming motion. The more time passed the quicker it resumed to normal speed.

Rachel huffed and heaved until she was a distance directly behind Mrs. Jumbo. She reasoned that location would take the longest for the elephant to look for where her target went. It wasn't like elephants could turn on a dime when she figured it out. Suddenly the spell broke. Power Wilds slid into nothing. The Yellow Opera Rachel had hit a minute ago instantly went poof! and was gone. Mrs. Jumbo didn't break stride in her charge. She was actually quite a distance away before realizing she had just trampled over nothing.

As quickly as she could Rachel covered Bryan's mouth in an attempt to keep him from crying out in surprise when he realized everything was suddenly different. And he did.

"SHH! Quiet or she'll hear you!"

Bryan looked at his sister, completely bewildered. Rachel could imagine what he must be feeling. In what felt like a second to him went from being a few steps away from getting trampled by a rampaging elephant, then suddenly he's behind the elephant with his sister by his side when she wasn't before.

The plan did work. Mrs. Jumbo halted her charge and looked around, confused for a moment. That gave Bryan just enough time to get over his own confusion and prepare again for the fight. Mrs. Jumbo didn't realize where either of them was until she was struck on both sides. The fight resumed as might be expected. Both Rachel and Bryan learned the strength of a back-hand from an angry elephants trunk. They also learned just how tough elephant hide was and how nerve endings clocked out early when fueled with adrenaline and the determination of a mother. Mrs. Jumbo might feel really bruised the next day but no attack, physical or magic slowed her down for long (if she even acted as if she could feel it at all). And if getting beaten by an elephant wasn't bad enough, neither of them were having much luck staying on their feet because of all the STUPID BANANAS!

"This isn't working," Rachel said quickly. "At this rate, by the time we wear her out she'll have already flattened the entire camp."

Bryan looked to be thinking the same thing. Much like how they fought Mim, one of them focused on the Heartless and the other on Mrs. Jumbo. After a while, they'd switch. Bryan grew increasingly frustrated with the stress of fighting Heartless and trying to keep the elephant away from other tents. On one swing filled with a particularly large amount of frustrated rage against a Heartless, the impact sounded like a gong. The Heartless went down instantly. Bryan stood stunned for a moment as his Keyblade reverberated with the impact tremor. Once and a while the Bass Blade would make the sounds of a banged drum when it hit things but it hadn't ever sang on its own after a hard hit.

Bryan's eyes rolled back as they closed. Rachel recognized that as a look of realization. Whatever his idea was, he better act on it fast. Beating an elephant down was like proving to be more like breaking down a brick wall with a reflex hammer. Mrs. Jumbo was harder to defeat than their last Heartless! It was ridiculous! Then again, Nature's End was after pixie dust, Mrs. Jumbo was after the safety of her son.

"Rachel! Strike my Keyblade as hard as you can!"

She certainly didn't expect that. But she would find out what he had in mind in a second. If their battle strategies were going to work, they always needed to ready to assist without question. Rachel had an unpleasant feeling churn in her gut as Bryan charged Mrs. Jumbo head on. She stayed no more than two steps behind, ready to turn on a dime if need be since she still had no clue what he was thinking. Bryan side-stepped right and jumped, his Keyblade held out tightly in both hands. Rachel quickly side-stepped left then leapt forward. She put all her strength into her right swing and struck the Bass Blade with all the power she had.

As soon as the two blades made contact Rachel understood his plan. It was just like when the shockwave from Madam Mim bounced off the blade and jumbled her brain. Regardless of what had caused it, the Bass Blade was still filled with the power of the percussion. When struck, there was nowhere for that power to go but out. Rachel could see the sound waves ripple away from the blade. Both the Bass Blade and Moonlit Majesty were long ranged weapons so neither key bearer was really affected by the shock wave. Of course that didn't stop the impact vibration from causing a tickly numbness in her fingers.

Mrs. Jumbo was not so lucky. The positioning was perfect. The concussive sound stopped the elephant in her tracks, completely dazed. Most of the darkness in her eyes was replaced with a glassy look. She teetered, then her legs gave out and didn't get back up. Bryan made a victory gesture and went back to clearing away as many Heartless as possible while the elephant was down. Rachel stayed by her side for a moment, carefully checking to make sure she was okay. As far as Rachel could tell, Mrs. Jumbo was just dazed and would probably have a headache once her ears stopped ringing. Once she concluded that was the extent of the damage, she joined her brother to finish the fight.

With Mrs. Jumbo down for the count, no new Heartless appeared. Apart from the evermore frustrating bananas, the remainder of the battle went by without a hitch. The key bearers took a moment to catch their breath. They didn't hear or sense anything. Finally they lowered their weapons, confident the worst was over. Rachel went immediately to Mrs. Jumbo.

The elephant hadn't gotten up. But it wasn't the darkness or the battle that had worn her down. Rachel could feel the darkness that had ahold of her had mostly dissipated. No, the concussion had finally cleared her head. The grief of the long separation from her son had struck once again. No doubt she fully comprehended what she had done too and felt awful. Rachel tenderly stroked Mrs. Jumbo's trunk. The elephant looked at her with deep, sad eyes. She wasn't bad. Just broken hearted. And desperate to make the pain stop.

"Rachel, we need to get her back to the wagon."

Mrs. Jumbo still looked sadly, pleadingly at Rachel. She didn't want to go back. But she had to. Behind them a trail of crates, barrels and wagons were crushed to kindling. No doubt people would notice the lack of loud noises and start coming out of their tents to investigate. They had to get her back to the wagon. Maybe they could make it look like the Heartless took advantage of her being locked up, attacked, she broke loose in panic and they chased her around. Rachel and Bryan would look like heroes and Mrs. Jumbo wouldn't be sent away or worse because she was out of control. Mrs. Jumbo understandably was not enthusiastic about the idea but Rachel and Bryan managed to coax her to her feet and brought her back to the wagon. Rachel patted her trunk reassuringly.

"It wasn't your fault." She whispered. "Maybe we can use this to get the Ringmaster to let you go. I promised I would keep an eye on Dumbo for you. He'll be fine until we can get you out. But you can't allow your despair to become darkness. I can't imagine what you're feeling, but it's not worth never seeing your baby again."

Sadly Mrs. Jumbo nodded in consent. Rachel and Bryan left the elephant by the wagon and did what they could to clean up. About that time people were really starting to come out to investigate. Close call. As far as either of them could tell, no one suspected Mrs. Jumbo was the first domino to the destruction. Workers were just concerned with getting her shackles back on.


	33. TheBigTop: Dumbo's Secret Weapon

Neither Rachel nor Bryan had much of a chance to speak with the Ringmaster the next day. The fiasco from the previous night had wound him up tight again. Another wagon had to be constructed on the fly for Mrs. Jumbo on top of taking care of the animals, keeping everyone organized and all the while preparing for the flood of locals that would be coming in. Not to mention the clowns were bustling about like caffeinated beavers constructing the bigger prop house for that night's show. Bryan hadn't told Rachel about the clowns plan to raise the platform. He didn't want Dumbo to get hurt but he didn't want his sister to create a field of clown ice sculptures either. He and Rachel had been thanked vigorously for their work but everyone was especially busy so their time was mostly their own so long as they weren't in the way.

Rachel started to freak out a little when they couldn't find Dumbo. The clowns appeared to be looking for him too. Bryan didn't tell her why. As soon as the gates opened to the public a large crowd of children and their parents were there and waiting to explore. Rachel and Bryan kept an eye out for Dumbo while dodging kids asking them to do magic. They complied as quickly as they could while trying to continue their search.

"How about you take care of the tourists and I'll look for Dumbo?" Rachel suggested.

"You're going to leave me to the hands of these kids who want to see magic tricks before the show?"

"Yeah. You're not bad with kids."

Bryan made a nyeee, nyeee displeased sound but split up anyway. He circled the camp, making the occasional lightning show for groups of kids and keeping an eye out for any stray Heartless. Thankfully, he didn't find any. Maybe it was like in Neverland. Once the main source of darkness was gone the Heartless took off. Would certainly make looking around a lot easier. They had spent too much time here already. Obviously Mrs. Jumbo had to be taken care of, but they were no closer to finding the Keyhole. Following the circus and searching nearby areas was the best lead they had, but wasn't getting very far. They might have to leave then come back later. They could keep an eye on this world and come back periodically to look until they found it.

After his first sweep, Bryan saw his sister wave him in from a few tents over. Maybe she'd found Dumbo. She had. Dumbo and Timothy were hiding in a storage tent. Despite the fact they were not trying to draw attention to themselves, both looked very happy.

"Kay, guys, tell him what you told me." Rachel looked at him strangely.

What had they told her? Must have been something unorthodox for her to be looking at him like that.

"Oh boy this is s'mthin!" Timothy exclaimed. "Dumbo, show 'em!"

The little elephant puffed out his chest and held his trunk high. He had a tiny black feather wrapped up in it.

"A feather?" Bryan said. He was having a hard time seeing how that was special.

"Not just a feather! A _magic_ feather!" Timothy said gleefully. He gave Bryan 'the wink' but Bryan wasn't sure why. He obviously had been doing all he could to hold it in until that point.

"Magic?"

"You bet it is! With the _magic_ feather," He 'winked' again, "Dumbo can fly!"

Bryan took a second to process what he'd heard. "What?" That was all he could manage to say.

"Dumbo's ears make perfect wings! A bunch of crows gave 'im the _magic_ feather," He 'winked' again, "and he could fly! I was der! It was amazing! He's a natural. We're really gonna blow 'em away at tonight's show!"

Bryan was pretty sure he was looking at his sister the way she had looked at him. A flying elephant? He hated to break Dumbo's confidence by telling him that was impossible, but Timothy testified Dumbo had actually flown. And they had to keep in mind they had no place to put limits on the possible. Wizards, evil witches, talking owls and flying blue men. No doubt they were nowhere near seeing all the crazy they ever would yet either.

"Just you wait!" Timothy continued. "Be sure to come to the show tonight! Dumbo is gonna do great! He'll show everyone! Oh boy, they're gonna be in for a big surprise."


	34. TheBigTop: Dumbo Believes

The next few hours went by excruciatingly slow. Dumbo was going to jump off a heightened platform from a burning building and fly to the ground using his ears as wings? Here's hoping that plan would be successful. Any potential problem he could think of didn't end well. Rachel had been talking about the same thing. Only neither of them could show it as they wandered about entertaining guests and helping out as asked to prepare for the show. Bryan finally had to snap at his sister to stop because she kept nervously talking about how Dumbo was guaranteed to get hurt and the whole flying thing was likely to be a long shot.

The show proceeded as usual. First the parade to show off everyone. The elephants were the stars of the parade but were lined up off to the side in their fine headdresses and blankets, proudly standing tall and looking impressive. Then came the acrobats, tigers, trapeze artists and so on. The lights went down low and aimed upward to highlight the tightrope walkers. As soon as the lights went down the keyblade wielders got antsy. They knew the low lights meant the clowns were setting up and Dumbo was in the back getting ready.

The music flared up, the tightrope walkers took their bow and the clowns bustled out as the building burst into a blaze. The clown dressed as the mother elephant flailed about, screaming about her baby in peril. The firefighter clowns performed their usual antics for a while. As a group was aiding a small clown to pull a long string of scarves out of a fire hose, others were getting the net in place. Bryan had a sinking feeling in his stomach. The tub of goo Dumbo would splash in looked shallower than last time. He hoped it was just because his concern this would be a huge disaster altered his perception.

Bryan looked up at Dumbo, trying to get an idea of how the little guy was doing. The platform was so high he couldn't see his face properly. He knew Timothy was up there with him but that by far wasn't a guarantee things would turn out ok. The time of the jump was fast approaching. He could feel the energy and anticipation of the audience when the clowns began to shout to Dumbo to jump.

"I don't think I can watch." Rachel said.

"Just wait, maybe Dumbo really can fly."

"Right, you're absolutely right. I mean, no sense thinking negatively. We've seen all kinds of things, a flying elephant could be possible, right? Dumbo's got a strong heart and a good friend and-hyyyieee I can't watch!"

Rachel instinctively covered her eyes and turned away when Dumbo jumped with the finesse of a professional diver. But she kept looking back as he fell then turning away again, unsure whether or not she could see it through. Bryan understood her thinking completely. He kept his eyes glued on the falling calf and fought hard to keep it that way. It would only take less than a minute for Dumbo to reach the ground, so why did every second have to feel like ten minutes?

Although it was hard to see from that low, Bryan could tell something had gone wrong. Dumbo's body language changed completely. His trunk was no longer curled around the magic feather. Is that what happened? Had he lost it? He couldn't have lost it. If he couldn't fly out of the stunt he was guaranteed to get hurt.

Suddenly realization hit Bryan in the gut harder than the kick of an adult elephant. That's what Timothy's repeated 'wink' had meant when the talked about the magic feather. The feather wasn't really magic. Timothy only told Dumbo that to get him to believe the feather could make him fly. Now it was up to Dumbo to believe he had it in him all along.

Bryan could see a dark something on Dumbo's face. That had to be Timothy. He was probably telling Dumbo what Bryan had just figured out. That little elephant better believe his friend soon. Being able to see a mouse an elephants face clearer and clearer wasn't a good sign. Time was running out fast. Bryan could feel Rachel's tension. He was feeling it too.

Then, just as he was feet away from the net, Dumbo spread his ears wide and pulled out of the dive with the grace of an eagle. The sound of over a hundred people gasping in unison was certainly odd but Bryan could barely hear it over his sister shrieking "He did it! He did it!" He couldn't not smile either.

Dumbo's smile was the brightest thing in the big top. He dived after and chased the clowns around the ring. Rachel cheered. The calf zoomed over the crowd. People weren't sure to be frightened by a flying elephant or cheer in amazement. Never was an elephant baby in the world ever so happy. Bryan was happy for him too, but he wasn't the type to whoop and holler. He did throw his Keyblade high in the air, it lit up like a sparkler on its way up and back down. For the grand finale, Dumbo sucked up dozens of peanuts in his trunk and pelted them like blow darts at the adult elephants standing on the other side of the tent. Bryan laughed. After the stories he heard about how the other elephants had treated him, that kind of payback was perfect. Dumbo did a wide loopty-loop and the crowd cheered. Once the shock and bewilderment wore off the audience went crazy.

Bryan looked to Rachel, only she wasn't there. He did a quick three-sixty but she was nowhere to be seen. And that puffy purple skirt wasn't exactly easy to miss. Where did she go? And why did she leave? They were standing in the aisle, maybe she went outside. But why? That did give Bryan an idea.

"Dumbo!" Bryan waved him over as best he could. He pulled the tent flap open.

The little elephant looped around and dove for the open door. People gasped and applauded. The second Dumbo was out of the tent, Bryan immediately followed.

"Dumbo! If you moments peace you'd better fly off now. People will be swarming out of here any second."

Timothy was doing cartwheels over Dumbo's head. He was just as ecstatic as his friend. Dumbo looked around then quizzically at Bryan.

"I don't know where she went." Bryan didn't look back but he could hear the avalanche of feet begin. "Lets get out of here."

Dumbo trumpeted with all his little might.

"Hey, Dumbo," Bryan said, getting an idea. "Wanna see something cool?" He jumped and let the pixie dust do its magic. Dumbo thought it was amazing that Bryan could fly too. Timothy, poor mouse, could barely contain himself. Bryan just laughed.

He took off upward over the tent, Dumbo followed. Bryan was about to land behind one of the residential tents when he saw what Rachel had left for. She waved him down a few tents over, with Mrs. Jumbo right behind her. She must have used her Keyblade to open all the locks and set the elephant free. Mrs. Jumbo's positively glowed with joy. Her baby had literally soared to new heights. Dumbo dove to his mother. The reunion was filled with kisses and lots of squeezing trunk hugs. It was touching to watch but hoards of adoring people were starting to look for the flying wonder. A proper reunion would have to wait.


	35. TheBigTop: New Keychain

The celebratory mood sparked around the circus like a firework. Thirty minutes hadn't passed before news reporters were buzzing around like bees. The Ringmaster was over the moon that the little misfit had found a way to become a star. His circus would be on the map forever. After the shock and amazement phase passed, he was a blubbering mess of happy tears.

Everything was on the house. Cotton candy, popcorn, peanuts, stuffed animal souvenirs, candy, balloons and miscellaneous props were finding their way into the hands of every child present at the show. And theirs too. Once it became known the key bearers were friends with the amazing flying elephant, and they had been the heroes over the past week, everyone had something to give them. Especially when they gave the sad news it was time for them to move on.

Rachel had her arms full with a bag of sweets, a large stuffed yellow teddy bear and a floating dog-shaped balloon she had to tie to its paw so she had some arm room left for the jumbo box of popcorn. She'd also been given a sparkly array of necklaces and a plastic crown. The Ringmaster had even allowed them to keep their costumes so long as they promised to perform in the show anytime they returned. Since they had not found the Keyhole, they of course would have to return. Bryan kept his Keyblade in one hand in an attempt to discourage people from giving him too much stuff. Most of the things he'd been given he gave back to every empty-handed child he saw. Except for the food. He of course kept the bag of peanuts and candy.

Just before they left, they of course had to say good-bye to Dumbo. Dumbo stayed close to his mother the entire time. Never had a mother looked so proud. Or grateful. Rachel hugged Dumbo tightly and he reciprocated warmly. Timothy was over the moon. He knew Dumbo had the stuff to make it big and now he had. As Rachel snuggled and said good-bye to Dumbo and Timothy, Mrs. Jumbo took a cotton candy from a tray carried by a worker as they went by and gave it to Bryan. She knew there wasn't anything she could do to properly thank them but perhaps a heartfelt token would be able to at least get the message across. Bryan personally thought cotton candy was gross he didn't refuse the gift and couldn't bring himself to give it away once she was out of sight.

"This was fun." Rachel announced as they walked away from the hub bub of the circus.

"It was," Bryan said. "I liked it." He popped a few candy pieces and talking while he crunched. "Maybe after the next world we can come back here to look around again."

"I hope the rest of the Keyholes aren't this hard to find."

"Maybe we should go back home and ask Master Yen Sid about it. Maybe there's a way to sense where Keyholes are. It's kinda dumb we haven't thought of this before. Obviously the Heartless have their ways, maybe we can have ours."

They walked to an open space like the field where Hermes had left them a few days ago.

"Are you really keeping all that stuff?" Bryan said, looking his sister over. Between her costume and trinkets she looked like a walking circus herself.

"Not all of it. The bear and popcorn are for Hermes. He did say he wanted us to get him something. The jewelry is things to remember by. What about you? I didn't think you liked cotton candy."

"I don't, but Mrs. Jumbo gave it to me as a thank you gift. Maybe there's a spell Master Yen Sid can show me a spell to keep it from going bad."

"Only in the circus can cotton candy be a token of gratitude."

Bryan looked over the fluffy pink mass in the white cone. He wasn't the sentimental or overly emotional type, but he did feel a quick wave of attachment for the gift. It may have been stupid, but he-

Suddenly the cotton candy started glowing! Bryan was so startled he let go of it but it didn't fall. The treat shrunk and shimmered. Finally it fell to the ground and stopped glowing. Rachel and Bryan leaned in to get a better look, but cautiously like they expected it to jump up and bite.

"What just happened?" Rachel asked.

Bryan bent over and picked it up. The cotton candy had become hard, shiny, smooth and metallic.

"What is it?"

"I think that cotton candy just became a keychain." Bryan examined it carefully. "Remember what Master said about how objects can become infused with magic or emotion and become keychains?" That certainly made the most sense. It was a thank you gift given from the heart of a grateful mother.

"What are you waiting for? Clip it on."

Bryan called his Keyblade and removed the drum and replaced it with the cotton candy charm. With a magical Poof! the keyblade changed. The handle looked like the hilt of a sword. The hilts' top ornament was shaped like an elongated C and a shimmery copper-bronze. The shaft was two, thick intertwining ribbons, one blue, one green. Another bronze piece like a curvy backwards C was wrapped into the ribbon. Also tied to the same piece to serve as the keys' teeth were three balloons. It was very colorful. Bryan wasn't sure what to make of it. It looked a bit too much like a childs toy than a weapon for his taste. The bright pastels were a bit much. But he decided to give it a shot anyway. Maybe its bright colors and whimsical appearance disguised a killer punch. Still, even if the balloons did back a dynamite punch, he wasn't sure if he could place anything before the Bass Blade.

Hermes came when called and Rachel presented him with the stuffed bear with a doggie shaped balloon tied to its paw along with the box of popcorn.

"There, now you can't say we never get you anything."

"That's nice, this is nice." The blue man said, looking over the bear. "But what's this?"

"It's popcorn." Bryan said. "You eat it."

"No kiddin'." Hermes popped a few in his mouth. "Hm? Hmm. Mmmm. Mmmmmm! Oh this stuff is great! You said it's called _popcorn_? " He took another large bite. "Oh, oh, oh I have got to show this too the other gods at Olympus, I mean, this is waaay to amazing to not share."

"Glad you like it." Bryan said. "We need you to take us back to the Tower. We need to talk with Master Yen Sid


	36. Tower Return and Moving On

"Don't go anywhere, we'll be right back." Bryan told Hermes.

"Roger that captain!" The blue man saluted.

"I want to talk to Merlin first." Rachel said once they were inside. "Remember when we fought Mrs. Jumbo and you instantly when from one place to another?"

"Yeah, you never fully explained that."

"I don't really know what happened. That's why I'm asking. Mrs. Jumbo was charging at you, then, suddenly everything froze. Nothing moved for a minute then slowly started going at normal speed. It had to be a spell but I have no idea what I did. Merlin's got to know."

"He is the one who taught us all about magic so I'd hope so. But if he knows, why didn't he tell us about that kind of magic?"

Rachel put her trinkets on a side table in the room with the portal. Merlin was sure to appreciate them coming to visit in costume. Only problem was when they got there the cottage was completely empty! Every book, table, beaker and piece of furniture was gone. Even the logs and ashes in the fireplace were gone.

"What the heck?" Bryan said.

"Where is everything? Where's Merlin?"

"Or Archimedes. But I don't feel or smell any darkness, do you?"

"Negative." Rachel answered. "I guess we're going back to the tower."

"Yeah, Master has got to know where Merlin's gone to. At least I can't sense anything bad this time."

They went back through the portal and rushed up to their room to change before talking with Yen Sid. They already came back from a quest floating out of control, no need following up with showing up in costume. Rachel left her jewelry on her bed, flew around the room just for the heck of it, scooped up her kitten then flew out of the room after her brother. Why walk when you can fly? And Tatiana didn't seem to mind being taken along for the ride so it was a win-win. Flying was too much fun. Bryan jumped and flew alongside her and raced each other up the stairs to Master Yen Sid's study. Rachel had concluded that walking was for people with no imagination.

"I see you have become quite fond of flying." Yen Sid said as they came through the door.

"Can you blame us?" Rachel smiled and curled up in mid-air around her kitten.

"We just came back from Merlin's cottage." Bryan said. "Where is he?"

"No need to worry," Yen Sid confirmed. "Merlin was called to assist an old friend. He didn't know how long he would be needed so he packed up his entire house."

"What about Archimedes?" Bryan asked.

"Archimedes is here. The old owl has his perch set up in the kitchen."

"Merlin couldn't wait to say goodbye before leaving?" Rachel asked.

"The matter is of great importance so Merlin had to leave at once. He was not thrilled to leave without saying goodbye, but he did leave a goodbye gift for the both of you."

"Oh?" Rachel said. Gifts were always fun. She put Tatiana on her shoulder and frog-stroked in the air.

Yen Sid chuckled. "Yours is on your writing desk. Merlin said he would leave instruction on how to use it properly when you saw one another again."

The sorcerer went to one of his desks and picked up something small and handed it to Bryan. It was another keychain. It looked like an upside down trapezoid with a crescent moon in the center.

"Where did Merlin get this?" Bryan asked as he examined it.

"He told me it came from an experiment with the pixie dust Rachel gave him."

"Cool." Bryan said.

He summoned Showtime to switch the keychains. Rachel saw the quick look of horror on her brothers face. It wasn't like that was the most dignified of keyblades. Yen Sid chuckled.

"I see you have already acquired a new treasure."

"A gift turned into a keychain." Bryan said plainly. He unclipped the cotton candy and replaced it with the new charm.

The keyblade gleamed with metallic copper and dark turquoise. The shaft had two thin rods with several pieces of copper on a diagonal connecting the two. The head was a half circle with several sharp points on the curve to serve as the teeth. Most of the pieces were flat and there was a lot of negative space. It looked like something a sculptor might put together.

"Cross-Cut." Bryan said absent-mindedly.

"What's that?" Rachel asked.

"Cross-Cut. It's the first thing that came to my mind when is saw it."

"And that's the best you could come up with?"

"Now, now," Yen Sid said. "Sometimes a Keyblade tells you if it has a name. No one is quite sure how the magic Keyblade choses its master or knows its own name."

"Speaking of magic," Rachel said. "I wanted to ask Merlin something, but since he's not here…"

Rachel retold the story. Only about two sentences in, Yen Sid was smiling.

"It would appear that you have acquired the power of Time." He explained how the spell worked. "That sort of power usually takes time to master. I'm certain that is why Merlin did not inform you about it. But you have always had a knack for magic so it does not surprise me you have learned that skill."

"I was yelling for Mrs. Jumbo to 'stop'. Could that have been the trigger word even though I didn't know it?"

"Most certainly." Yen Sid answered. "Your concern for your brother is very likely to be why the spell didn't work the way it was meant to the first time you used it. Concentrate on exactly what you want to freeze time for next time. Bryan, I want you to try the spell as well."

"There was something else we wanted to ask before leaving again." Bryan said.

Master Yen Sid wasn't sure how to pinpoint the location of a Keyhole. And as far as he knew, no spell existed to direct someone right to it. His only suggestion was to be aware of what they felt when around a Keyhole. The heart of world would be just behind that door. If they became familiar with what a heart felt like, perhaps they could sense them in the future. For the moment, he agreed that frequent visits were the best course of action.

With their question answered (for the most part) the key bearers said farewell. Rachel went upstairs first to see what her gift was. On her writing desk, just like Yen Sid said, with nothing but a little note on top was her gift. It was a very thick hard cover book. The image on the cover was very detailed and beautiful. In the center it featured a mermaid child sitting on a rock on a riverside and reaching out her hand to pet the nose of the unicorn leaning in to say hello. In the corners were clustered all sorts of magical creatures. In the bottom left corner, a dragon crouched over a pile of jewels. In the bottom right corner, a gryphon laying on her side with her cubs. Upper right, a fairy sitting on a string of bleeding hearts. Upper left, an armored knight on one knee before a beautiful princess. The spine had nothing written on it and the inside was blank. Except the inside cover had her name on it in Merlin's handwriting. The note read,

_So sorry for not being able to give this to you in person since it is a very special gift. This is not a journal but a magic book. I had one very much like it some time ago. With the right magic, whatever is written on it, becomes a world within it. The world and its people will be as real as you write them. I know what your imagination is like so I cannot wait to show you how to use this magic. Say good-bye to your brother for me. ~Merlin._

Understandably, Rachel was over the moon. A book that can make the story come to life? How amazing was that? So she could write her own world then go inside it? She squeezed Tatiana tightly good-bye and went downstairs to where Hermes was waiting on the lawn.

Rachel noted the popcorn box was gone.

"I thought you said you were going to share that?"

"Well, yeah, uh, I was, but…I mean, come _on_! I couldn't stop myself! Such an explosion of flavors and textures. First buttery, then salty. Light and puffy but with a very most satisfying crunch. I mean, could you really keep the nibbles at bay if it were you?"

"Maybe, but I-"

"OKAY! Ready to hit the road?" Hermes cut her off, not wanting to lend any more time to his lack of self-control. "On to the next world! And believe me, kids; I've got something really special in mind."


	37. TheGreatForest: Arriving

"WHAT THE HECK IS GONG ON!"

It took Bryan a few seconds to realize there was something odd about his world. It wasn't the world itself, per say. They'd been left in a beautiful forest. Great trees stood tall and filtered golden sunlight through their mighty branches. Birds sang from high above but otherwise all was peaceful and quiet. There was a chill in the air. Either it was just a cool day or perhaps it was early spring, still grasping onto the chill of winter. When he looked around, sure enough there were patches of snow all over the place. Some places were more densely covered with it but in others spring grass was reaching out. It wasn't until his sister gasped sharply was he alerted to anything strange. At first he looked around for Heartless, but she was looking at him. Or at least something was.

A dark-eye doe was staring at him barely an arms-length away. He wasn't scared of deer but its proximity is what startled him. Bryan jumped away from it, and only then when he tripped did he realize what was so different about this world. He was a freakin' deer!

"You ok?" Rachel asked uncertainly.

That wasn't just a wild doe he saw, it was his sister! Somehow they had been transformed into animals. His exclamation of surprise and alarm was well understood, especially when he tried to get up on four hooved feet. When Bryan did manage to stand up right he looked his sister over. She was doing the same to him. Rachel had become a young doe. Her coat color was the same as her hair. There was a tuft of fur on her forehead that curled a bit the way her bangs did.

"Give it to me straight, how bad is it?"

"Bad? What do you mean bad? You're a young buck, not a three-headed monster or anything. You're coat's the same dark brown as your hair and you've got a lot of tufties around your head just like your human hair. You're antlers are colored a little strangely though."

"I have antlers? Wait, what do you mean strange?" Bryan shook his head hard but couldn't feel anything.

"They're kinda bronze-y, turquoise."

"Really? That's not normal, right?"

"And you're almost a six-point."

"Almost?"

"Yeah, points five and six are just little bumps."

Rachel tried to point them out but stumbled a bit when she lifted her leg.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry!" When she tripped her hoof caught Bryan on the face.

"Ok, how do we do this? How do we walk? Hermes! How does this work? Hermes?"

But the blue man was nowhere to be seen.

"That low, good for nothing, rotten, nasty-!" Bryan couldn't pinpoint an appropriate noun. "Did he seriously just dump us in an animal world then take off without bothering to help?"

"You can chew him out properly when we leave."

For the next several minutes Bryan and his sister tried to get into the swing of walking with four stick legs. Their biggest problem came when trying to keep track of their back feet. Most of their stumbling came from catching a hind hoof on a fallen branch or something. Eventually they found a rhythm and began going through the forest. Walking was much like an amateur dancer, they kept watching their feet.

"Why are your hooves gold?"

"What?" Rachel asked, looking down. "Oh!"

Sure enough, her hooves were shimmery gold.

"Your antlers are bronze and turquoise, my hooves are gold…this isn't normal."

Bryan rolled his head back when realization hit him.

"It's our Keyblades!"

"Excuse me?"

"First Laugh is all gold right? Cross-Cut is bronze with turquoise. Try summoning it."

They both tried but somehow their Keyblades wouldn't materialize. Rachel experimented with a spell to see what they could do to fight. She stomped her hoof and an icy patch formed where she hit. Bryan swung his head and a trail of fire appeared in the air.

"This makes no sense but it's also pretty cool." Rachel said.

"So I'm supposed to charge Heartless with my head and hope some kind of magical power will do damage? And what are you supposed to do? Kick things?"

Judging by her expression Rachel was having the same thought. How was that supposed to work? She backed up to a tree and kicked it with a back hoof. A pulse of light that was obviously magic rippled out from the point of impact. She tried again with both feet and a big patch of ice formed on the trunk. She stumbled a bit as she regained her footing but clearly looked pleased. Rachel kicked and stomped every which way, forces of magic or just forces of power resulted from the kicking. She stumbled a bit but eventually figured out the balance of four legs. Bryan tried to do the same. He had the same balance issue his sister had but also got over it the more he practiced. Bryan found he too could create a power wave with his hooves but could only perform magic when he focused on his antlers.

"I've got an idea, head-butt me."

"No way!"

"Why not?"

"And impale my skull on your antlers? My brain does not need direct oxygen. Not a word!" Rachel added quickly.

Good thing too, he could taste the come-back as it had to stop its travels on the tip of his tongue. Bryan looked around for a small tree. It wasn't that easy. This was a mature forest. Of the big trees Bryan picked out the smallest, squared himself off to it and charged.

A lot of things can happen in a split second. Such as common sense coming back from its lunch break in time to remind him the second before impact that this was a really dumb idea. Hitting the tree produced the result he wanted. Too bad it felt like he'd also broken his neck. A force field sort of light formed around his head and blasted away a good chunk of the tree as he hit it. Apparently a charge was enough to fight. And for the sake of his vertebrae Bryan hoped there weren't any large Heartless in this world.

"Look what you did to that poor tree!"

"I probably just got three inches shorter because of that impact and you're worried about the tree?"

"Oh! Oh! I wonder." Rachel went over to the tree, put her front hooves on the tree and stood on her hind legs. After a gentle tap a glow of pale green light shone around her hooves and the tree was healed. "Niiiiiiice."

The siblings bounded about for a while until they were confident they could walk, leap and side-step quickly without tripping over their own legs.

"So where should we go?" Rachel asked, looking around. There didn't appear to be paths of any kind.

"Guess it doesn't matter." Bryan answered. "It's not like we need to be in the same place for Hermes to find us."

"That's good. Once we get going there is no way we'll be able to find our way to this same place."

Bryan just started walking and Rachel followed. As usual, shortly after exploration began the Heartless started showing up. Thankfully they weren't too strong at first. Combat with hooves and antlers against a real enemy took getting used to. But they were a versatile pair and learned quickly. Soon they were as comfortable fighting as deer as they were as people. The forest was vast and felt like it went on forever. Maybe this entire world was covered with lush greens and no people actually lived here.

"What are we going to eat?" Bryan was the first to ask.

"Oh."

Apparently she hadn't thought that far ahead either. Rachel looked at the ground. Fresh clovers were peeking out from a thin blanket of snow. They looked at each other. Who was going to go first? Tentatively Rachel bent over and plucked a few clover leaves with her teeth. Bryan watched her as she chewed. No obvious looks of disgust. But no glowing with delight over a decadent treat either.

"So?"

"Mildly sweet but otherwise there is virtually no taste at all. Texture is a little strange. How can animals live off this?"

Bryan also bent over and started nibbling on the clovers. She was right. Big mouthfuls tasted kinda sweet but otherwise it just tasted like grass. They completely mowed the clover patch just in case that was the only thing they'd be able to eat for a while. The biggest hang up was the clover mush that got stuck between their teeth.

"Let's go with berries or something next time." Rachel suggested.

Bryan wasn't a big fan of a lot of fruit but at least any flavor would be better than grass. Hopefully they could get through this world quickly.

Suddenly they felt darkness rise from a distance away. Heartless were drawn to something a ways away. If it wasn't the Keyhole (which would have been a spectacular and almost suspiciously easy) something that lived in this world was in trouble. They followed the darkness over a small ridge that dipped out into a meadow.

Air Soldiers and Red Nocturnes buzzed like aggravated bees in the air in a half circle around something in the grass. The grass was too tall to see anything short through it. Rachel and Bryan charged down the hill. Rachel leapt high, summoning the Wind as she did so which sent the Heartless scattering like bowling pins. Bryan dove in to strike the Heartless that had tumbled toward the ground and nearly crashed into a small animal. It was a fawn. Bryan did a strange dance as he regained his footing from averting the crash. The fawn was frozen in place for a second after Bryan landed before realizing it wasn't alone and its company didn't pose an obvious threat.

"What are you waiting for? Move!" Bryan barked.

The fawn flinched as if it had been struck before turning back and bolting toward the forest. Bryan kicked hard at the Air Soldiers as they dove in to attack. Rachel called in the Wind again, sweeping up all the Nocturnes in a tight gale until the pressure made them all go poof. Bryan was about to turn to strike an Air Soldier he sensed from behind but a huge shape appeared, scooping up the Heartless and sending it flying. A massive deer stood tall before him. Bryan was astounded. He only stood shoulder-height to the great beast.

The Key Bearer looked around for more Heartless but found none. Only when they could sense no more darkness did they turn their attention to the adult deer. But the new deer had already turned to the forest to find the fawn. They followed without saying anything and stopped a distance away. The stag found the fawn and was scolding it something fierce. Although his words were harsh and exasperated, the stag also sounded relieved the fawn had not been hurt. The fawn hung its head. It knew it messed up.

The stag rotated his ears and turned his head toward them. He looked them over, his eyes hovering over Bryan's antlers. Oh great. How was he supposed to explain turquoise and copper antlers? Sure that would elicit some comment Bryan quickly tried to think of a believable story for the odd coloring. But the stag didn't say anything about him. Odd. Then again, maybe this deer had seen a lot so not much surprised it.

"Who are you?" It finally asked in a deep authoritative voice.

"Bryan."

"I'm Rachel."

"I saw you fight those creatures. I have little doubt they would have attacked my son if you hadn't been there."

On cue the fawn stepped out from behind him.

"I actually I didn't know he was there until I nearly tripped over him." Bryan said honestly.

"Which may not have ever happened if he had run when the danger first revealed itself." The massive buck said, displeased.

The fawn dropped its head again.

"I can understand being scared stiff of the Heartless." Rachel said. "We weren't exactly pillars of heroism when we saw them for the first time."

"Those creatures are called Heartless?" The deer inquired. "Nevertheless," He continued. "My son must learn that until he can defend himself he cannot freeze when confronted with danger. I cannot thank you enough for stepping in when you did. I am in your debt. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Well, we're…new to this forest." Rachel said.

"And we don't have anywhere to stay. We don't know how long we'll be here either."

"I know of a grove not far from my own den, I can take you there after I take my son home."

"Great," Bryan said. "Thanks."

The great deer led them into the forest, the fawn close behind him. Rachel walked close to the fawn and said a friendly hello.

"So what's your name?" She asked kindly.

"Bambi." He answered, quietly. He didn't say much else. His posture suggested he was still feeling very humbled from his father's scolding and a little shy.

Bryan almost chuckled aloud when he saw Bambi take notice of his sisters golden feet. The fawn's eyes got really big and looked between Rachel and her hooves, astounded. She leaned in close and whispered, "Shhh."

The stag first took them to a fallen tree. The long log had fallen across a tall mound of earth so it formed a natural tent shape. The stag instructed Bambi to stay in the den before leading the siblings away. He took them to a thick grove of small trees that were laced together with shrubbery. The shrubs didn't start growing thick for several feet off the ground so it left enough space to crouch down and lie under. The sky had begun to turn colors by the time they got there.

"I believe you'll be comfortable here." The buck said. "We are currently less than a mile away from my den in the event you need any assistance."

"Thank you." Rachel said.

"What do they call you anyway?" Bryan asked. "We've told you our names but we don't know yours."

"For years I have been known only as The Great Prince of the forest so that is how you may refer to me. My life has been dedicated to the protection of the forest and all that dwell within it. From the dawn to early dusk I patrol the forests but return here most evenings if you should need anything."

"What happens to Bambi while you're away?" Rachel asked. "He seems a little young to make daily marches across the forest."

"Today I sent him away with his friends. But that would appear to have been a mistake. I know now Bambi is not ready to face real dangers. With all of these strange creatures, Heartless, as you call them appearing as of late, I cannot trust to let him out on his own nor can I neglect my duties as Prince by taking him with me."

"We should be able to make part of that easier." Bryan said. "As you saw, we can defeat Heartless. We'll be scouting the woods too for Heartless to get rid of."

The Prince nodded his approval and appreciation. He said good-bye and went back to his den. When he left the keyblade wielders scouted around their temporary home. Thick grass and clover patches grew not far away in all directions, peeking out from clumps of snow. After checking around for Heartless they went back to their grove. Bryan went first under the thick bramble. The growing leaves kept the patch very well covered and warm. New grass grew beneath it to make a perfect bed. He wasn't sure if it would be a better idea to eat it or use it as bedding.

"I didn't want to say anything in front of him," Rachel said, curling up next to her brother. "But the Prince seemed to be really harsh on Bambi."

"Well it's not like he has no reason to be worried. If you can't defend yourself, get out of the way." He shuffled, trying to get comfortable. "Wonder how much longer I've got before I look like a stag like the Prince. Fighting Heartless with a full set of antlers would be much easier. And cooler."

"I think the proper term is _hart_." Rachel said. "People usually refer to all adult deer with a full head of antlers a stag but the term originally applies to a mature deer five years old and older."

"_I don't care_!" Bryan said. "How do you know that anyway? We've never even seen a deer before besides from pictures in children's books."

"I love animals and Master Yen Sid has a library the size of a town square."

Bryan rolled his eyes, got comfortable and went to sleep.


	38. TheGreatForest: Being Brave

The next morning when she awoke it took Rachel a moment or two to remember she was still a deer. Afterward it was a good thing she didn't try to get up to fast otherwise she would have gotten her head caught in the shrubs above her. Bryan was still asleep. She crawled out from under the foliage and stretched. The frosted forest glittered with morning sunlight. But it was beginning to fade. Looks like they'd slept in again. Rachel stretched and scouted the perimeter for Heartless before waking her brother. He had a glazed look over his large eyes as he followed her. Still, no time to wake up gradually. They munched on clover and wide blades of grass in silence.

"I want to head back to the Prince's Den. Maybe he can give us an idea where the Heartless are the worst." Rachel said.

"He said he's up at dawn to search the forest. He's probably gone already."

"Maybe Bambi's still there. He did say it would slow him down to bring his son with him."

Bryan didn't reply or protest when she started off toward the Prince's den.

Sure enough the Prince had already left by the time they got there. Like Bryan thought, Bambi had been left behind. The fawn was curled up by the entrance to the den and already looked overwhelmingly bored.

"Thank you for saving me yesterday." He said after they said good morning. "My dad's right, I shouldn't have frozen like that. Those things were just so scary."

"What were you doing out there all alone anyway?" Rachel asked.

"My dad let me go with my friends to see if the groundhog would see his shadow. After everyone left I waited for my dad. I think I fell asleep because I didn't know I was dreaming or not when I heard my mother's voice calling me. But I guess it was just a trick of those monsters." He hung his head sadly. "Now my dad says I can't leave the den. If-if I could only be brave like him. Then he might take me with him and show me how to be a good Prince of the forest."

"Well why not?" A voice came from behind.

Rachel and Bryan looked to see a young bunny hop into their clearing, followed closely by a little skunk.

"Showing your dad you can be brave shouldn't be that hard." He said.

"Who are you?" Bryan asked them.

The rabbit thumped his foot hard on the ground. "I'm Thumper." He said smiling. "And that's Flower."

They introduced themselves and Rachel said a kind 'hello' to the skunk who lowered his head shyly and made an inaudible reply.

"They can fight those monsters that have been in the forest lately." Bambi said. "They saved me yesterday."

Flower looked at them in awe.

"Wow!" Thumper exclaimed. "You could teach Bambi to be brave, couldn't you?"

"That's a great idea!" Bambi agreed. "You'll help me, won't you?"

Neither Rachel or Bryan were sure what exactly they could do to show the fawn and his friends bravery. And Rachel was pretty sure explaining there was more to being brave than fighting or not running from danger wouldn't be easy when the audience consisted of eager children. But at least they could keep them safe until they figured out the true nature of courage on their own. Bryan also commented about Bambi disobeying his father. Bambi was also uncertain about that factor but Thumper said he shouldn't worry. If Bambi came back and could show how much braver he had become, surely his father would forgive him. That had all the makings of a good idea destined to fail but they agreed anyway.

The key bearers took the trio of friends through the forest. There were few Heartless so that made the concern for safety easier. Bambi and friends always took cover when a Heartless came around but claimed to be paying attention as they watched Rachel and Bryan fight.

"Do you think I can learn to fight those things?" Bambi asked.

"Not sure." Bryan said honestly.

"Why don't those things run away from you?" Flower asked. "If you're so strong and brave, why don't they stay away if you can get rid of them?"

"Heartless are attracted to the light in people's hearts. They want those hearts and ignore all danger to themselves to get it." Rachel told them.

"They must be awful brave. How can we supposed to be brave when the monsters are scarier than us?" Flower asked.

"Well that's the thing about bravery," Rachel said. "Being brave isn't about looking for danger. It's about doing what's right no matter how scary your foe is or how scared you are."

Bambi and Flower looked thoughtful but Thumper interrupted their musings.

"I say I good start is to show those meanies whose boss!" He said enthusiastically. "We gotta show 'em we can be just as scary! No! Even scarier than they are. That's the way to be brave. All you gotta do is be scarier than the thing that's scaring you."

"But how can we do that?" Flower asked. "Some of those monsters are really scary and really big."

"And they come out of nowhere." Bambi added.

"That won't matter if we can scare them away." Thumper said.

"And what would you suggest?" Bryan asked. Rachel too thought it curious what sort of plan the rabbit had in mind.

"Yeah," Bambi said. "We don't have claws or big teeth and we can't make those lights like Rachel and Bryan."

Thumper thumped his foot and screwed up his face, concentrating hard. "Well we could, or maybe, um, er-I got it! If we can't look scary, we can sound scary!"

Bryan cocked his head. Rachel was interested how that plan was supposed to work. Bambi asked the same thing.

"Wolves howl and hawks screech right? All we need is a great big _grrrr_! That's sure to scare them away. See? Watch me." Thumper squared his stance, puffed out his chest, took a deep breath and exhaled with the mightiest grrr a bunny could muster.

The siblings looked at each other, neither having the heart to comment on the flaws in his logic. Bambi and Flower weren't too sure either but were willing to give it a try. Thumper growled again to show his friends how it was done. Bambi tried but his growl left much to be desired. Rachel doubted even a light-sleeping baby mouse would have looked up to see what the noise was. Flower wanted to go next. He got down on all fours, tensed up real tight, concentrated with all his might but his growl sounded more like the grunts one makes when stretching in the morning. And his effort went largely unnoticed because of the puff of toxic fumes released from trying so hard. Thumper was determined to show Bambi the proper way to be brave. He instructed him on how to stand, puff out his chest, take a deep breath and let the grrrr roar its way out. But the only thing that escaped his lips was a weird bleating sound. It took all the will power Rachel had not to snicker. It was a horrible thing to think but she couldn't help it.

They kept going through the forest, Bambi, Thumper and Flower grrr-ing and being scary all the while. The Heartless became more and sparse as they explored. Flower announced proudly that it must be because they were so scary the monsters knew better than to get close. Since things were going well Rachel and Bryan made a calculated decision to let the kids explore by themselves. They would scout from a distance so they could be out of the way but close enough to hear a shout if they got into trouble.

Time passed by quickly. Periodically Rachel or Bryan would backtrack to make sure Bambi and the others were okay. They found clusters of Heartless once in a while but nothing that couldn't be handled in two minutes or less. The day passed by without serious incident. No big Heartless. No creatures in peril. No encounters with forest predators. But also no Keyhole. They grew concerned later on when they couldn't find Bambi and his friends. But Bryan reasoned between the three of them they would know how to get back. The key bearers realized that might be their problem too so they turned around to get back on the den. Only when they did, they knew they were in trouble.

A large, dark shape was waiting for them when they arrived. The Great Prince did not look pleased. As Rachel suspected as they neared, the Prince was not thrilled that they had not only let Bambi go but had encouraged his disobedience. Thankfully the day had gone by without un-repairable incident. He thanked them for their part in keeping Bambi safe throughout most of the day and giving his son a boost of confidence but told them sternly not to go against his wishes again. Bambi was to stay in the den the next day. The Prince couldn't stop them from doing what they wanted but they weren't to interfere with how he took care of his son.


	39. TheGreatForest: A New Approach

The next morning they found Bambi at the den with Thumper and Flower. He didn't look so gloomy this time. Instead he seemed happy and focused on something. The key bearers asked what he was so please about and that led to recounting all the events that transpired since they last checked in on him. They tried crossing a creek with a log bridge but the porcupine living there wouldn't have any of it. Bambi's attempt to be tough with the porcupine only resulted in getting stuck with a bunch of quills. After that he met his friend Faline but couldn't enjoy the company for long because another fawn, Ronno, whom he had exchanged un-pleasantries with a few days ago showed up. Ronno chased him and Bambi only got away when jumped across a small ravine to safety.

His father had witnessed the whole thing and commented that even he couldn't make a jump like that at Bambi's age. The joy Bambi felt when he heard that filled every pore so much he could barely move. He had finally found something he could do that would make his father proud of him. So he was determined to practice until he was the best jumper in the forest.

"You shoulda seen him!" Thumper said "It was like he was flying!"

"I'll bet it was really somethin'." Rachel agreed.

"If I can learn to jump even farther than yesterday, that is sure to make my dad proud! Maybe then he'll let me patrol the forest with him!" Bambi said with the biggest smile. His hears perked up as he got an idea. "And it would be even better if I could fight off those monsters! I'm sure I can do it and fight with those amazing lights like you if you show me how!"

The siblings exchanged glances. Even if that were possible they had no idea how to even begin teaching an animal to use magic. And as neat as it would be to have a chance to be the teachers they couldn't take the time to train him.

"You know, Bambi." Bryan said. "I don't think you need to have powers for your dad to be proud of you."

Rachel agreed. Bambi couldn't see how he could earn his father's respect or make him proud any other way than do something no one else could. Thumper, however, agreed with the key bearers.

"Maybe you should try talking to your dad first."

"How would that help?"

"Wouldn't hurt, would it?"

"Bambi," Rachel said. "Have you actually told your dad you want to learn the ways of being a prince?"

"Well…no."

"Have you told him you want to conquer your fears and learn to be brave?"

"No."

"You can't just assume he knows that's what you want and isn't letting you because he doesn't think you can do it. Thumper's right. Try talking first. If that doesn't work then maybe we can help."

Bambi looked very doubtful that approach would work but agreed to give it a try. Bryan reminded him it might not happen overnight.


	40. TheGreatForest: Trouble

In the many days that followed Rachel and Bryan jumped back and forth between the worlds they'd visited and home. Peter, Wendy and Tinker Bell had still not returned to Neverland. Dumbo was a big success at the circus and happy beyond compare to be with his mother all the time. While following the circus they covered a lot of ground but couldn't find the Keyhole there either. Master Yen Sid had no other suggestions regarding how to locate Keyholes and had made no progress finding Wendy and Peter if they were away from their own world. They refilled their pixie dust pouches and went back to the Great Forest. Not like they'd actually try to fly there. Deer with golden hooves and odd colored antlers raised enough eyebrows, they didn't need anyone reining them in to pull Santa's sleigh.

When they returned to the forest to look for Bambi and his friends they found a very different scene. Spring was in full swing. Only a few patches of snow remained. Bright green shoots were abundant on the ground and in the trees. Bambi had taken Thumper's advice and just tried to talk with his father. The Prince had begun taking Bambi on patrols and taught him the secrets of the forest. By the sound of it, the two were getting on much better. Bambi had even held his ground against a few Heartless. He was over the moon to share he had actually boxed at a few and landed a good hit. It wasn't near enough to do serious damage but he learned he could strike a Heartless.

* * *

Bryan crawled out of their thicket patch and stretched. He was thankful in their absence the weather had gotten warmer. Now he didn't have to sleep so close to his sister in order to keep warm at night. And the new growing grass tasted a bit sweeter and was easier to eat. But that didn't stop him and Rachel from overeating before they left again so as to have one less meal on foliage. He walked a distance in all directions from their temporary home to search for Heartless. Their space was pretty clear. They'd need to branch out farther again to look for the Keyhole. The trouble with looking, as always, there was no way of knowing if several days march in one direction would lead them to where they needed to be or just be going in the completely wrong direction and have to go around all over again.

But today that's what it looked like what they'd have to do. After Rachel came out after him and had something to eat, they went to the Princes den to look for Bambi. They weren't there but that wasn't a big surprise. Maybe they'd cross paths in the forest. They certainly crossed paths with more than a few Heartless.

"It doesn't seem fair sometimes." Rachel mused aloud as they walked.

"What doesn't?"

"That enough darkness exists to attract Heartless in places so beautiful."

"Darkness exists everywhere, you know that."

"I know. I guess…I guess it's more…" She took a second to collect her thoughts. "I've just been wondering more and more lately what could have caused such a great unbalance between darkness and light that causes so many beautiful places and so many wonderful people such grief. No one deserves to go through so much fear and confusion because of something they don't understand."

"Not saying you're wrong, but that's partly why we're here. To restore and maintain the balance."

"Let's just hope from now on we can do a better job at the 'maintaining' part."

"We got time to learn."

For a while nothing broke the silence apart from rustling wind and distant animal calls. Then they could hear voices they recognized. Bambi and the Prince were nearby. As they got closer the voices were joined by others but didn't remain pleasant for long. They quickened their pace. Bambi was shouting and sounded on the verge of tears. The young prince had already run off by the time the key bearers arrived. An old owl and an adult doe were standing with the Prince.

"Oh dear, that didn't go very well at all." The old owl said sadly. "I'm afraid I've only made things worse."

"The fault is mine," The Prince said, his emotion hard to identify. "A prince should not be raising a child."

"What's going on?" Bryan asked.

"Oh? Who's this?" The doe asked.

"Bryan."

"Rachel."

"Hello. You may call me Friend Owl and this is Mena." The owl said.

"So what just happened?" Rachel asked.

"Some time ago the Great Prince requested that I find a suitable doe to raise Bambi after he lost his mother." Friend Owl explained.

"You're making him leave?" Rachel asked the Prince. "I thought Bambi said you were getting along great and he was learning so much."

"A prince looks after the herd, does care for the young." The Prince said matter-of-factly. Bryan could tell he was fighting hard to keep his voice emotionless. "Bambi will go with Mena." He turned to walk away.

"Wait! That's it? You're just giving Bambi away?" Rachel exclaimed. "What about-?"

The Prince glanced over his shoulder at her, his gaze stern. The group parted. Friend Owl flew off. Mena went in the direction Bambi had taken off and the Prince disappeared into the trees. A few moments passed in stunned silence.

"What just happened?" Bryan was the first to ask.

"This isn't right. We need to find Bambi and work on getting this sorted out."

"Don't suppose you have any idea how?"

"Not really but let's talk to Bambi first."

Bryan wasn't sure how they would go about fixing anything but went off in the direction Mena went. Only they hadn't gone far before the first group Heartless appeared, slowing down their progress.

"Do you think the Heartless are reacting to Bambi's anger and sorrow?" Rachel asked after kicking the last Heartless.

"Makes sense." Bryan said, looking around for more.

Neither of them saw any but not fifty yards away did another group show up. Then another, and another. They found Thumper and Flower who told them where Bambi and the doe had passed by. Bambi, by the sound of it, was absolutely miserable. No doubt that sorrow and feelings of betrayal by his father was what the Heartless found so enticing. They had to find Bambi and talk to him.

The Heartless thinned but it still took Rachel and Bryan longer to find Bambi than they thought it would. Only they heard a distressing sound before they found him. It was the sound of a struggle, the quick shuffling of hooved feet and grunts and groans of uncomfortable impact. From a distance they could see Bambi boxing with another fawn. The doe, Mena, jumped between them to stop the fight but stepped in a hunter's snare by accident. The key bearers froze, their ears swiveled up high. Several Heartless just materialized not far away. Their animal ears were sharper and they could hear Heartless from a greater distance. Whatever they were, they were heavy-set and made a lot of rustling, crackling racket through the brush as they charged toward Bambi and the other fawn. Mena ordered them to run. The other fawn screamed for his mother and bolted off so fast he nearly tripped over his own feet.

Rachel and Bryan ran as fast as they could to the young princes' aid. The frustration and rage of the two fawns must have been what drew in the Heartless. Bambi stood frozen as the Heartless approached. They were worried he wouldn't run. Then, drawing the courage from himself, he drew himself up, summoned the biggest, fiercest 'grrrr!' he could and led the Heartless away from Mena. The siblings charged the pack of Heartless, breaking the last one away from the group.

It was bulky and ran on all fours with thick legs and flat feet. It thudded something terrible as it ran and left deep impressions in the earth. Its tail was thin near the body but thickened like a club near the end. Its head looked like a cross between a strange dog and a crocodile, square yet long and flat with short, interlocking teeth. Its eyes were little more than yellow dots. Its shoulders were huge but its middle was thin. The siblings tag-teamed it and it went down easy. It wasn't hard to defeat but the time it took to fight only widened the distance between them and Bambi.

A few times they caught up to a Heartless that had somehow gotten slowed down from the group. That was good. The more they took care of the fewer were after Bambi. They crossed a log over a stream. Through the forest. Across a dry, grassy meadow and finally they saw him climbing a rough, rocky outcrop with two Heartless still on his heels. One lost its footing and fell. Rachel fried it with long distance magic before it had a chance to hit the ground.

By unspoken agreement Rachel and Bryan used their pixie dust to make great leaps up the cliff. It would be easier than trying to climb up and risk a rockslide. By chance Bryan looked back and saw the Prince charging across the grassy meadow. Good. They would need all the help they could get if things got hairy. And of course, it did.


	41. TheGreatForest: FightingTheMountainside

Rachel and Bryan came to a rest on a wide rocky platform where Bambi led the last Heartless. The young prince kicked and boxed with all his might. The Shadow Hound Heartless actually looked phased by the impact. Rachel wasn't sure if she saw what she thought she saw, but there appeared to be tiny flashes of pale light at each impact point of his hooves. As impossible as it seemed, Bambi looked to be using trace amounts of magic. By far it was not enough to damage the Heartless but it was impressive. With a few hard blows the Shadow Hound vanished and all was quiet. All three of them caught their breath.

"Bambi," Bryan said, panting slightly. "That was a brave thing you did." The young prince looked at him, taking a moment to fully comprehend the extent of the compliment. He smiled widely. "C'mon. I saw your dad coming across the field. I'm sure he's worried about you."

Bambi was about to walk across the stone clearing towards them when a rumbling noise stopped him dead. The mountainside shook. Was it a rock slide? They crossed the clearing to Bambi. If it was a rockslide, they'd need to use their pixie magic to jump and fly down the mountain. As hard as that would be to explain it would be easier than trying to outrun an avalanche of unforgiving stone.

The rocks moved, alright, but not naturally. Rocks of all sizes shifted from all over and rolled together in a huge pile, all on their own accord. Rachel and Bryan stood side by side, shielding Bambi the best they could. The rocks and boulders piled up tall onto themselves until they resembled a human-like shape. It had thick arms and legs, a wide chest and a strange face. It kept changing shape. The rocks that made up its body kept shifting, making its limbs longer, thinner, shorter, thicker, taller and shorter.

"Bambi! Get out of here, find a place to lay low and let Bryan and I take care of this." Rachel ordered.

"But I want to help!"

"You did great today but you're not ready to take on a Heartless like this yet."

Giving the Heartless a second look Bambi consented and ran off to hide.

The battle ensued with the Mountainside Heartless. Bryan swung his antlers side-to-side like a scythe, challenging the Heartless. Rachel stomped her front feet hard, golden ripples of magic came from the point of impact. The Heartless pounded its massive arms against the stone, returning the challenge. It charged, arms flailing. Rachel and Bryan split, attacking from both sides. They kicked, boxed, dodged, jumped and charged again and again at the Mountainside. Rocks crunched under the blows but didn't break. The Heartless seemed to be more annoyed by getting kicked and harassed than actually hurt.

Worse yet, it was extremely versatile. The rocks kept shifting, making its shape change and better equipped for different types of attacks and movement. It would take a very human shape, towering above them with its thin limbs, able to cross the rocky plateau with only a few strides. Then its legs shortened, arms and chest widened and it looked like a gorilla, pounding its massive chest. Or it would form a small body with long thin legs and scurry about like a spider or a crab.

"This isn't working!" Bryan cried, ducking from a swing of its long legs. "We'll get worn down long before it does!"

"Then use more magic!" Rachel jumped to the side as a limb crashed down next to her. She leapt on it and sprinted up its arm and kicked it hard in the head. It didn't like that and only succeed in clocking itself in the face as it tried to dislodge her. Rachel fell off as it flailed and scrambled to get out of the way. As soon as she cleared the Heartless Rachel got up on her hind legs and brought down her front feet hard and yelled "Stop!"

The Mountainside froze. The key bearers caught their breath while it was immobile.

"You keep using that spell until we can figure something out." Bryan circled around the Heartless and climbed on its back. He too reared up and brought down the power of Fire as many times as he could before the spell wore off. "Again!"

Bryan hit its back again and again with Fire. Rachel kicked its legs with Blizzard over and over until they were all frozen to the stone. The spell wore off. The Mountainside tried to charge but it was stuck in place. Two of its legs snapped from the force of the forward movement. At first the siblings thought that reason to rejoice. But it didn't slow the Heartless down. It struggled to free itself until its other two legs broke away. More stones from the cliff rolled in to take the place of the rocks encased in Ice.

"Stop!"

"This is ridiculous!" Bryan stomped, frustrated. "How do you break stone!"

"Thinking! I'm thinking!"

Bryan's antlers glowed green for a moment as he took advantage of the time to use Cure. "Thunder won't work, rocks aren't affected by electricity. We won't be able to melt the rocks fast enough before it just gets more. And we have no way of knowing if even magic ice will never melt to trap it forever."

"Stop! I know that, we just-hey! I think I have an idea."

"Share quickly!"

"Heat it up then freeze it!"

"What?"

"When you pour cold water in a hot glass it breaks!"

"But will it work on rocks? We'll just-watch out!"

Rachel's power over the spell wasn't well developed yet and the length of the time the target spent frozen shortened each time she used it in succession. But the only way Bryan, at least, could think of to get the Mountainside hot enough without wearing themselves out trying to avoid getting hit. He tried to use the power of Time but the best he could do was make it move in slow motion for about ten seconds. So they alternated between who did what.

Bryan did what he could to slow it down or distract it, allowing Rachel to bathe the Mountainside in light flames to warm the stones. Then Rachel would use Time and stand back so not to exhaust herself or her magic. Bryan followed up with a powerful Fire attacks until he couldn't use more magic without feeling light-headed.

"I hope you don't think this will take long!" Bryan shouted, stumbling over loose rocks broken up by the Heartless. It had to be done quickly or else the stone would cool then they'd have to start over.

Suddenly a strange sound drew the Mountainside's attention. It was Bambi's brave noise! The Heartless looked at him strangely, not sure whether or not to take him seriously as a threat or worth the effort it would take to swat him. Rachel stomped and kicked wherever she could. Her hooves were literally on fire.

"Bambi! We told you to hide!" She shouted.

"But you need help! Hey! You!" The young prince pushed a rock from a ledge and it landed right on the head of the Heartless. Being made of rocks itself the impact didn't seem to do a lot. But the action did keep it distracted long enough for the key bearers to continue using Fire.

"Just stay back then!" Bryan yelled. So long as Bambi could be a good distraction without getting hurt, who was he to complain? Besides, the rocks were starting to stay red for more than a few seconds, they couldn't afford to spend time making Bambi leave if their plan was to work. Bryan wasn't sure how much more magic he could use before he started feeling drained from the expended energy. He wondered about his sister and how she was faring too. She had always been better at magic than him but she'd been using A LOT of it in a short time and didn't even have her best Keyblade equipped for the job.

The Mountainside once again took the shape of a gorilla and started smashing the ground madly. The flailing started cooling its arms. Bambi kept his distance and kept pushing rocks onto the Heartless whenever he could but it had started to ignore him completely.

"If we're going to do it we gotta do it now!" Bryan shouted. He swung his antlers high after rolling out of the way of the smashing clubs. It was getting harder and harder to duck and dodge with the uneven and jagged terrain torn up by the Mountainside's smashing. A dodge roll as a deer was doable but the risk of getting torn up by sharp rock edges made it not worth doing at all.

"Stop!"

The Mountainside froze but they knew they wouldn't have long. The cliff top blazed with red then sparkled with an aurora of blue. The Heartless looked like strange, brownish purple with the orange of the heat and the blue of the ice. The Mountainside did not seem to be deterred by the ice that incased it. It was sluggish, but not put off. The Ice drained the heat from the stone quickly.

"NOW!"

With all their strength they kicked and charged. The stone should be brittle. It had to be. They wouldn't have the energy to keep using that much magic in such a short time to try again. And if the Mountainside got free of its ice bonds it would have broken the rest of the rocky cliff to pebbles.

Bambi jumped from his place on the ledge and kicked and boxed for all he was worth. Bryan tried to order him to leave but the young prince either didn't hear or was too brimming with courage and confidence to obey. The lights around his hooves as he struck became brighter as he fought. Bryan stood back as far as he dared then charged, a half-dome of energy formed around his head. The force blasted one of the legs clean off. The brittle stone shattered but was still held together by the ice. It shuddered once then went still, too damaged to return to the rest of its body.

"It works! Keep at it!"

The Heartless hobbled and tipped over. They didn't stop. Bambi leapt high on the Mountainside's back, using his back legs to kick hard at its head. Each time any of them landed a blow the brittle stone made a sickening crunch when struck hard enough. Bryan kept thinking how much easier it would be to smash the Heartless if only he were human and able to use his Saw Blade attack. He could have blasted the Heartless into sand in no time.

The Mountainside raised one of its remaining limbs and aimed its smash at Rachel. It was able to summon enough strength to smash itself to pieces as it struck the ground but also reduced the rocks and shale to sharp plates. Rachel was able to get away from the blow but her hooves slipped on the loose rocks. But only two remaining legs didn't stop the Mountainside from going down without a fight. It swept its legs back and forth. It broke its stones apart over the jagged rocks it had created but also did the most damage that way. It wasn't easy to jump out of the way anymore. Even when they did have enough forewarning to evade an attack, the loose plates caused them to slip, making them easy targets.

Both Rachel and Bryan took their turns to be swatted like flies. The Mountainside was losing strength so the strikes weren't as bad as it could have been. However, landing amongst the ragged rocks was far from fun. The ice began to break and the Mountainside was able to move more freely. Slowly it gathered enough stones so it could stand up but was still quite sluggish.

"This has to end soon." Rachel said, panting next to her brother. "I don't know how much longer I can effectively fight in this form."

Bryan knew exactly how she felt. They hadn't been trained for such harsh combat whist a four-legged creature. Merlin's activities as birds or squirrels had been more so to broaden their minds by making them understand the world from different perspectives.

Bambi's brave 'grrr' echoed strangely across the stone and empty space. The Mountainside turned to him, visibly annoyed. Bambi stood near the edge of the cliff, poised for a challenge. The Heartless lunged.

"Bambi!" Rachel and Bryan shouted together.

The young prince leapt as far as he could to a large stone. The Mountainside crashed near him. It slipped on the loose rocks of its own making and slid over the side. The Heartless flailed its remaining arm, smashing the stone as it fell. In a small flicker of light, it vanished. But it still got the last word. Its final throe loosened the boulder Bambi had taken refuge on and it began to slip.

"BAMBI!"

The Princes deep voice resonated from somewhere below as the rocks crumbled, taking his son with it. As hard as the fawn tried to get away, the rocks fell faster than he could run. Rachel and Bryan dashed to Bambi's aid but couldn't get close. Rachel leapt forward, trying to use Wind to push Bambi back up or at least break his fall. She misjudged her steps as she tried to rescue her friend and nearly slipped down the cliff herself. Bryan caught her under her leg with his antlers and pulled her back.

The key bearers were through with subtlety and use their pixie dust to bound down the cliff. Never before had great leaps felt like they took a lifetime to land. They hurried but still felt like they were stuck in a Time spell, everything moved so slowly. The only thing they could hear was the crunching and sliding of pebbles. At the bottom of the cliff the Prince stood tense and motionless. The siblings could see Bambi curled up on the stone. He wasn't moving.

"Bambi." The Prince said quietly. Bambi didn't stir. "Get up. Get up!" He commanded. "A prince does not-!" The words caught in his throat and he shook his head sadly.

He knelt down, waiting for Bambi to get up. Seconds felt like years. Mena, Flower, Thumper and Friend Owl had finally caught up, only to bear witness to the tragic scene. No one said anything but in their hearts they hoped and prayed with all their might that all was not as it appeared.

Gently the Prince nuzzled his fawns limp form. A single tear fell from the great stag's eye. Bryan could feel his sister quivering at his side. He stood shoulder to shoulder to her in case she faltered. Or perhaps it was to steady himself. The silence was eerie. After a moment the Prince made a motion to stand up but he stopped. Wearily Bambi opened his eyes and slowly lifted his head. When he'd held himself upright for more than a few second everyone knew he was going to be okay. The Prince's eyes glittered with joy. He nuzzled the side of Bambi head and the gesture was returned.

"I'm here," The Prince whispered. "I'm here."


	42. TheGreatForest: End

In the days that followed Bambi recovered from his tumble completely. The Prince told him the entire story about how he had meant for another doe to raise him after he lost his mother. But after spending the many days on patrols together and seeing how well Bambi learned the ways of the forest he had changed his mind. And he was sorry he hadn't tried harder to explain himself when Friend Owl came by with Mena. He partly blamed himself for what happened. The events of that day might not have ever transpired if he had only made himself clear sooner.

After a day of rest Bambi excitedly recounted every detail of the chase and the fight. How he shook the Heartless that were chasing him and how he fought against the Mountainside. He tried again and again to make the magic work but couldn't repeat it. But that didn't stop him from trying. Everything seemed back to normal. Bambi was going to be all right. The Heartless had pulled back for now. The forest was beautiful and safe.

But despite all the joy and good news the Keyhole remained elusive and they weren't sure where else to look. As much as they didn't like it, the key bearers agreed to treat this world like the Big Top and just keep coming back at different times to different places. But in a forest this size it might take weeks to find it. Weeks they couldn't neglect looking for keyholes on other worlds. They hoped it wouldn't become a trend. They wouldn't look too good as key bearers and guardians of the light if they couldn't keep the worlds safe like they should. It was time to move on.

They said their good-byes to Bambi, Thumper, Flower and the Great Prince. The children of course wanted them to stay but Rachel and Bryan promised they would be back. After all, if Bambi had used magic before, they'd have to come back to see if he'd improved. Rachel reminded him he had a strong heart and told him to keep it that way. Letting his heart guide him and doing what was right by others is what would keep him strong. He beamed when she said she was sure he would make a great prince one day. As they turned to leave something twinkled and caught their eye. A little red mushroom at the base of a tree glowed then fell to the ground, metallic and flat.

"Is that a keychain?" Rachel asked.

"Looks like it."

"But who is it meant for?"

"Don't know."

"You want it?"

"I'd say we rock-paper-scissors for it but we don't have hands yet."

"You can have this one. I'll get the next one."

Rachel and Bryan called for Hermes to take them to a new world. They did present him with a few choice words about dropping them on future worlds where they'd be animals without even two words of warning.


	43. Meeting BEN

Eerie plants and natural formations towered high above the fighting duo. Everything looked strangely ethereal. Plants that resembled bamboo as thick as a human thigh rose up taller than houses, blocking much of the sunlight. Trees with intertwining trunks stood tall and spread out at their tops like mushroom heads. Fields of bizarre sphere-shaped plants littered the ground like a legion of eggs. Funnel-shaped plants grew in short clusters here and there. It was impossible to tell at times if misshapen objects were some kind of odd plant or a rock covered with moss or lichen. Everything was some shade of green, gray or brown. Birds or animals of some kind cried out from a distance but it was impossible to tell what was making the sound or how far away it was. The whole place was fascinating but eerie.

Oddly the only Heartless they could find were Shadows. An unholy amount of them sometimes but none stronger. Was this place a barren wasteland? Were there no hearts here to be preyed upon? Of course, now that they arrived that was subject to change. Then again, they thought the same about Neverland for a while too. Perhaps just this area wasn't populated? Anyway, looking for the Keyhole was more important than looking for locals. So they pressed on through the strange forest, defeating Heartless as they went.

As the day went on they passed through a plain of the most bizarre root formations. The center was thick enough for four or five people to lie side by side on and multiple roots grew out from the sides. Some led nowhere. Others reared up with trees growing from their tops. It looked like a mass grave of giant centipedes. They climbed the tallest one and looked around.

"Looks like there's only forests and plains here." Rachel said, shielding her eyes from the glare of the setting sun.

"Does this place seem strangely flat to you?"

"I was just about to ask that."

"Except for parts of the forests this place is like standing on a pool ball with trees."

"Agreed. Weird, isn't it?"

It was getting late and they didn't want to be out after dark. It felt strange not having a proper shelter. Even in the Great Forest their thicket patch was like having a roof. So they made the best of what they had and made a fire near a low arch in the centipede roots. A few Shadows came close but it was nothing a few jolts of lightning couldn't take care of. They watched the flames for a while in silence.

"Bryan." Rachel said after a while.

"Yeah?"

"Wha'da'ya think we'll do after all this is over?"

"Wha'd'ya mean?"

"I mean after we've done all the saving the worlds stuff. The worlds and the balance of light won't always be in chaos. What will we do when everything is back to the way it should be? Master Yen Sid never said anything if Keyblades only come to people when they're needed or vanish when they're not. Even if it is for life, what do we do when there aren't worlds to save and Heartless to get rid of?"

"Way to kill a peaceful mood."

"This is serious! One day we'll really have to think about this. Some kind of mental preparation would be nice instead of waiting until the day it happens."

"For tonight how 'bout we have some mental preparation for sleep?"

"Fine. But although you dropped the subject I promise it will bounce back!"

* * *

The next morning they resumed their search. Everything that looked even remotely likely to be a good spot was thoroughly investigated. Every odd formation or flat protrusion was given a look over. They split up periodically to cover more ground, agreeing to send up a firework of flame if they found the Keyhole, Ice if they needed help and Thunder when they wanted to pair up again.

"Find anything interesting?" Bryan held his Keyblade across his shoulders with his arms over it like holding a yoke.

"Nah. Just got directions from a unicorn prince and his escort of leprechauns. Apparently if we head west we'll find a city of chocolate rainbows with statues made of unsalted popcorn. If we come to the forest of cotton candy trees and meet a talking fish with a monocle we've gone too far."

"Where do you come up with that stuff? Not like a city of chocolate rainbows wouldn't be fun."

"I wonder what a chocolate rainbow tastes like?"

"Hey, have you noticed there are big metal sheets under a lot of stuff?"

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"It's like a faint mechanic whine. I've heard it off-and-on for a while." Rachel paused. "Now it stopped."

"Oh no! No, no, no, no! You quit that right now! Last time you got all super-sensory in the woods we got chased by Indians." Bryan grabbed her arm and pushed her along in the front of the line. "You didn't hear anything. You didn't see anything."

"But what if it's-."

"No! Hear nothing! See nothing!"

"YAAA-HaaHaaHaa!"

Something started whooping and hollering and jumped the two of them. That started everyone yelling.

"Not one! But two humanoid life forms come to rescue me! Ohhh! This is so wonderful! Let me jus' hug ya and hold ya close to me!"

Something robotic with thin limbs, loud voice and astonishing grip koala'd itself to Bryan's side. "What the-! Hey! Get off!" He frantically tried to push it off but it jumped back, wrapping its arms around his neck.

"What is that!" Rachel cried. As soon as she spoke it jumped off Bryan and clung to her leg.

"This is so wonderful! After so long I am finally going to be rescued!"

"Who are you?! And what do you mean 'rescued'?" Rachel said, trying to kick it off.

"Oh? Oh yes! Of course!" The robot jumped off of her and stood up. It looked to be made of some kind of coppery metal but was extremely rusty and corroded. It had very thin arms and legs with wheels and gears on its knees and feet. It had a large head with green lighted eyes. "Yes, yes, introductions. Best we all get to know each other. I am…I am, my name is B-B-B-B-B.E.N! Yes! I'm B.E.N! Bio-Electronic Navigator. And you are?"

"Rachel."

"Bryan."

"Pleasure to meet cha Bryan! And bonjour Rache!" He shouted a lot when he got excited.

"Rachel." She corrected. She hated being called that. B.E.N took both of their hands and shook with tremendous gusto. He finally calmed down for a second to see their bewildered and unsure looks.

"Oh, sorry." He released their hands and leaned casually against Bryan "It's just I've been marooned here for so long. You understand that sure, quiet, personal time is great but after a few decades of it-YOU GO A LITTLE NUTS! Heh heh." B.E.N cleared his throat and calmed down.

"You were marooned?" Rachel asked cautiously. He seemed pleasant enough but could get riled up easily.

"Oh yes," He said with a sigh. "At least a hundred years ago by my reckoning. Or at least I think it's only been that long." B.E.N laughed uncertainly. "My reckoning isn't what it used to be. You see I lost my mind. Haha I lost my mind! You haven't found it by any chance have you?" He started picking through Bryan's side pouch, pulling out anything that wasn't what he was looking for.

Bryan pulled away, gave him a look and picked up the miss bits from the ground. "Look, we're kinda in a hurry. There's something here we need to find."

"Maybe you can help." Rachel said. "We're looking for something called the Keyhole."

"Rachel!" Bryan snapped. "We're not suppose to tell people why we're here!"

"He said he's been alone for a century. Don't you think if there was anyone else here he'd have met them? What's the harm in sharing with just one person?"

"Help? You need my help? This is wonderful! A purpose at last! What is it you need to find! I've been just about all over. I mean, you can only handle the same view for so long."

"It's called the Keyhole. You might not have ever seen it but if you did it would be shaped exactly like it sounds. It's most likely in somewhere significant. Like on a cliff face or natural formation of some kind. Maybe on a large tree. In a cave perhaps? Have you ever been anywhere and felt like there was just some kind of power or something there."

B.E.N looked thoughtful (and strained) and muttered to himself as he mentally went through every place he'd ever been.

"Wait. I think I re-r-r-remember seeing something like you're describe-b-bing. It was on a wall in the centroid-centroid-centroi-centroid of the m-mechanism." The harder he tried to remember the lights in his eyes blinked strangely and his voice got all warbled. "It was in a room filled with treasure, treasure! Lots of treasure! But Capt'n Flint wanted to make sure no one could ever get to that room so he-he-hehee-eyaah! Inaccessible! Reboot! Reboot! Reboot! Reboot!"

Afraid he might short-circuit Bryan rapped him hard on the head with his Keyblade.

B.E.N snapped out of it immediately. "And you are?"

"What!"

"You look like a Carl. Something with a 'c' right? Or a 'k' maybe?"

"No, no! What were you just saying about 'centroid of the mechanism' and treasure!"

"Yeah! You recognized the Keyhole and something about some guy named Captain Flint."

"Flint! Capt'n Flint! Don't get me started on that grouchy old space dog! If ever there was a guy that needed a therapist. I mean, there is no way you could have that kind of temper without some underlying issues."

Bryan tensed, his patience tested. Rachel rubbed her temples. This was going nowhere. Maybe they could try asking again later. Maybe if they asked the question differently B.E.N wouldn't go all screwy and they could get a better clue. So they needed to find whatever the centroid of the mechanism was. If B.E.N was remembering correctly (which looked to be a hit-and-miss) there was a keyhole-shaped thing in that room. It could be just someone having a unique taste in decorating but it was the only lead they currently had.

After traveling for a bit B.E.N wanted to know if they'd be interested in heading to his place for the night. Since they needed a base camp they agreed. He took the key bearers to a strange formation in the middle of a vast field. The base looked like the result of a kitchen accident with an egg-shaped…something attached to it. It was completely coated with cascades of lichen with an oddly perfect circle cut into its side. When they got closer they realized it wasn't completely a natural formation at all. The oval part at least was made of metal. Inside it felt like being within the innermost workings of a machine. Lichen and soft moss grew on the inside as well but they couldn't hide the many fantastic markings carved into the walls.

"Uh, you'll have to excuse the mess." B.E.N told them as he brushed some moss and greenery from atop one of the dome-shaped protrusions on the floor. "I know it's no excuse but when you're not expecting guests you tend to let things go a little."

"Just give Rachel a day in here and you won't recognize the place."

"Oh?"

"I'm a compulsive organizer."


	44. TreasurePlanet: Crash Landing

Over the next four days B.E.N accompanied the key bearers on their search. Unfortunately no matter where they went nothing jogged the robots memory to where or what the centroid of the mechanism might be. They must have walked over at least half the planet by then. Every time he tried and got close to an answer his circuits would go all screwy.

B.E.N wanted to hear everything about them. His memory circuit had been lost decades ago and his pre-marooned memories were scattered and hazy so he wanted to know all about what was going on-on other planets. Their clothes and weapons were so different than what he had seen pirates or merchants wear or carry. Their weapons were of particular interest. They acted like swords but contained a power he couldn't explain. Often B.E.N would stand back as the keyblade wielders fought back droves of Shadows, cheering them on and goading the Heartless.

What had been the most interesting to learn was in this world everyone had access to other places. Ships sailed through space, not on water. That made B.E.N's earlier comment about Flint being an old 'space dog' instead of the traditional mariners' term 'sea dog' make more sense. But that did raise a question. If in this universe all worlds were accessible to each other, was there in fact only one Keyhole that bound them all together or was there a Keyhole on every planet? But if B.E.N could sorta remember a keyhole-shaped thing on this planet, might as well start small and figure things out one step at a time.

"So how long have there been Heartless here?" Rachel asked, flicking away the last Shadow.

"Oh a couple-a months I'd guess." B.E.N told her. "At least, I think it's been months. Apart from keeping tallies on a wall the days tend to blur together some. But! I'm confident they've been here a while. At first I was thrilled to be in the presence of other life forms but they're not very good company. They don't seem to be big talkers."

"How have you survived them this long?" Bryan walked with Sign of Spring over his shoulder. The Keyblade acquired from the Great Forest wasn't as long as Bass Blade but much heavier set. The shaft was thick and shaped like a tree trunk with ivy vines crawling up it. The teeth were five red feathers tied to sticks at the end of the blade with knots that would have made an Eagle Scout cry. The handle was four thick sticks roped together with vines with an acorn in the center. Although he preferred the long range freedom of the Bass Blade, he couldn't deny there was a certain rush to fighting in close-quarters to a foe.

"How do you mean? They haven't really shown an interest in me. Well, I wouldn't say that I guess. Once in a while I'll see them following me from a distance. I've tried to engage them but they either attack or vanish into the shadows. If they attack, I run. They don't seem to be big chasers either."

"They probably can't figure out if you've got a heart or not." Bryan said.

"I don't have a heart. I run on kylaptarin oxygen-converting batteries and mclordian crystal power cells."

"He's talking a lot less literal." Rachel said. "He means the heart that makes us who we are. Where the light of our being shines through. And I'm sure you've got one. You couldn't make me believe that someone with so much personality like you wouldn't have a heart."

B.E.N was touched by her words. But before he could answer something caught their attention. With a loud bang a blast of fire exploded in the sky! Something fell from the sky, trailing flame. It looked kinda like a dinghy. Pieces were breaking off of it as it fell. It was impossible to tell through the smoke if the shapes they saw were falling debris or a dislodged passenger. From high above a shape soared downward like an eagle. It was a ship like B.E.N had talked about! It looked like a ship seen in mariners books but it was flying! But a gut feeling told the keyblade wielders it wasn't diving to save its lost longboat.

The three of them split up to find where the longboat had landed. The distance between them and the crash was considerable and there was no way of knowing if it crashed immediately or managed to travel a distance before coming to land. Bryan tried to get B.E.N to go with him just in case the survivors (if there were any) weren't friendly. But the kooky robot had already disappeared into the forest. The siblings shrugged at each other before going their separate ways to search for the longboat and kept hidden from the ship as it passed by low.


	45. TreasurePlanet: Jim Hawkins

Rachel had flown up to the top of the strange mushroom trees to look around. Once she was at the top, she jumped from tree to tree to get around. The landscape looked just as odd from above as it did below. Still she was cautious. She would have to be ready to hide under the mushroom caps if the ship came by again. At first she hoped she was just playing on the side of caution. Better safe than sorry. Maybe the sailors were friendly. But after the ship passed close by for the first time she knew she was wrong. Nothing good could make every organ in her body tense and prickle with that uncomfortable tickle feeling. There was darkness on that ship. Rachel hoped her brother would feel it too so he'd be better prepared.

Despite looking from above Rachel saw nothing. There was no smoke or trail of broken plants to indicate the path of the longboat. She couldn't risk flying about freely to search either. Even with the ship a distance away, she wasn't going to risk someone having eagle eyes or a really good spyglass and catch her lavender-garbed form darting about the trees like a sparrow. Rachel fiddled with a lock of hair she kept combed in front of her ears as she thought about how to proceed.

Without warning Rachel felt gripped by a heavy and dark feeling. It was like breathing only to find there was no air. She felt light-headed and way-legged. Every muscle of her chest tensed making it uncomfortable to breathe. But as soon as it began it was over. That didn't stop her from trembling or a few sweat beads forming on her brow.

"What was that?" She said aloud. It had to be the worst thing she'd ever felt.

Suddenly a familiar sound interrupted her thoughts. Six or seven large shapes appeared in front of her. Heartless! But they were not Shadows. These were almost as tall as she was, blue with some kind of headgear and purple wide glider-like wings. They jumped about then charged, completely ignoring the gleam of Moonlit Majesty as the Keyblade eagerly awaited them. Sometimes they charged hard for the attack, other times they just glided around like the battle was no more exhilarating than a Sunday stroll. Other times they really gave Rachel trouble when she would have to fly after one to attack it and another would make its move when her back was turned.

Although Rachel could feel she was getting stronger as a Keyblade warrior, these new Heartless didn't go down easy. That partly confirmed her suspicions the darkness on the ship had something to do with the sudden appearance of stronger Heartless. The coincidence was too unbelievable otherwise. She sprinted over the treetops, keeping an eye out for evidence of the longboat. The only thing she found were Heartless. She could see the ship in the sky from a distance. It couldn't have just given up, could it? No, something small was pulling away from it. Another dark shape was pulling away from it. Another longboat? Great. Now the crew was unloading. She had to hurry.

* * *

Bryan jogged briskly through the forest of bizarre trees, keeping an eye out all the while for anything that looked out of the ordinary. He could feel the Shadows stirring all over but ignored them unless they got in his way. If someone was in trouble he'd have to find them fast. The big ship made a pass nearby but not close enough to see him. Something faint was left in the air after it went by. He could smell a trace suggestion of darkness. Wonderful. So trouble was on this ship. Did that mean the crashed longboat also meant trouble? Or was it fired upon because of something else?

All of a sudden he froze. Out of nowhere he felt like something heavy and cold had smashed his insides. Bryan felt fear prickle every follicle of his body and his legs had turned to lead. Something dark had just happened but he couldn't tell what. The feeling only lasted a few seconds but he panted as if he'd been sprinting. His palms were sweaty and his hands shook. He had no idea what that was and he didn't like it. Once Bryan felt himself calm down he resumed his jogging but with a new air of caution to his search.

As he exited the forest Bryan skidded to a stop. He'd come out in a clearing. There was darkness nearby but not the kind left by Shadows. He ran along the edge of the forest. Something was up ahead. It was the longboat! Bryan was about to send up a spark of Thunder to alert his sister he'd found it but trouble materialized before he got a chance. Larger Heartless had surrounded the longboat. A figure was shooting at them with some kind of pistol that shot light. The Heartless had a red bandana and a cutlass. Whatever the light was made of the Heartless could feel and didn't like. It waved its sword threateningly and continued inching forward. He could sense darkness but it wasn't coming from the figure trying to fend off the Heartless.

Bryan sprinted toward the longboat. About halfway there he jumped and swung his Keyblade like he would a golf club and pushed a cyclone of Wind toward the group of Heartless and swept them in the air. Everything was a flurry of swinging blades. It threw Bryan for a loop at first fighting a Heartless that actually had a weapon. There were only about seven or eight of them and although they were skilled with their weapons, they weren't a terrible challenge to defeat. He kept his Keyblade high just in case. Something had brought out new and much stronger Heartless than Shadows. If that happened, there was no way of knowing how many more of them there were.

The figure hiding by the longboat stood up again after a few moments had passed in silence. Bryan raised an eyebrow as it turned to him. It looked like some kind of anthromorphic dog wearing a fine vest and tie. He knew there were all sorts of people and creatures on other worlds but this was the first time he had seen one that wasn't a 'normal' human or animal.

"Oh my goodness! That-that was-that was the most amazing, most spectacular thing. How did? I mean-those creatures-!"

"Hold on! Who are you and why is that ship looking for you?"

"Oh! Oh yes! I am Doctor Delbert Doppler."

"Bryan."

"There are pirates on that ship and the Captain is injured."

"The captain?"

Dr. Doppler introduced him to Captain Amelia and gave him the low-down on the situation. The Captain had been injured in the blast he had seen earlier. The ship had been mutinied upon by pirates. They had been on a voyage to this planet in search of hidden pirate treasure. Their friend, Jim Hawkins had gone on ahead to scout out a safe place to hide. The pirates were no doubt on their tail or at least would been soon and the pirates thought they had the map. Of course that left Bryan to answer what he was doing there and was this planet habited. Bryan told them that as far as he knew that apart from his sister and their new friend he had yet to see anyone other than Heartless.

The doctor admitted they'd seen small black creatures like that on the ship from time to time. But they had not bothered anyone and either ran off or just vanished if approached. He thought it might be some kind of interstellar space pest much like how some planets and their seafaring vessels had rats. Bryan assured them they were anything but a minor pest and were not to be taken lightly.

"Jim!" The doctor stood up and waved to someone coming out of the forest.

Bryan turned to see a boy running toward them. B.E.N was only a short way behind him.

"Look! Look! Look! Look who I found!" B.E.N was just about losing bolts and gears he was so excited. Even more so when he saw there were more people around. But now was not the time.

If the situation was as urgent as the doctor indicated, they needed to get to a more sheltered place. B.E.N had already offered his home so they continued with few questions. Bryan and Jim led the way, keeping a sharp eye out for Heartless. The doctor followed at a slower pace since he was carrying the Captain. A little pink chirping thing flew around overhead, following Jim.

"So who are you anyway?"

"I'm Bryan."

"Jim."

They took a second to shake hands in a proper greeting. This was the first world he had met someone close to his own age. He wasn't sure if the fairies counted since they all looked and acted like young adults.

"And what is that?"

"That's Morph."

The little pink blob made chittering sounds and rubbed up against Bryan's cheek. It was very soft and affectionate.

"So what are you doing here? Are you looking for the treasure too?"

"You mean the gold belonging to that Flint guy?"

"Yeah."

"No. My sister and I are here looking for something else."

"There's someone else here too? Wait…if you're not here for the treasure, on the planet where it's supposed to be, how do you know about it?"

"Ben mentioned it before fritzing out because he couldn't remember details."

Jim laughed a little. "He did that to me too. If you're not here for the treasure, what could you possibly be after? Flint's trove has been the stuff of legends forever. Every kid on every planet has heard the bedtime story of Treasure Planet and here you are looking for something other than The Loot of a Thousand Worlds?"

"Don't get me wrong, being able to swim in a pool of gold coins would be really sweet but this is important too. And believe it or not, even though we're after different things I think we're trying to find the same place."

"What do you mean?"

"Ben said he saw something like what we're looking for in the centroid of-"

"-of the mechanism?"

"Yeah."

"That's where he said the treasure was before he short circuited."

"Don't suppose he managed to tell you more about where to actually find it?"

Jim shook his head. He'd been about as successful as they had. They talked some more as they made their way to B.E.N's home. Bryan felt bad their situation was so urgent. He had a feeling he and Jim could be good friends if not so focused on surviving Heartless and outrunning pirates. As much as he loved her, Bryan would have been lying to deny he'd been hoping for some Y chromosome company after spending most of his life with his sister. But even that seemed destined to fall through. After the balance of light and dark had been restored the worlds would once again be disconnected. It sucked to think about all the neat people and places he'd met and visited and know a day may come where he might not ever be able to see them again. Yeah, so long as he could remember them, and they him, there would always be a connection between their hearts binding them forever. Still, not very reassuring if it meant never again being able to sit down and have an actual conversation with any of them. Although it felt inevitable, he tried not to think about it.

When they arrived at B.E.N's dwelling, Rachel was already there. Like Bryan, she had encountered new and much stronger Heartless. Bryan made quick introductions and they went inside. Rachel got a real kick out of Morph, declaring him to be the sweetest thing she'd ever seen and she was going to take him home with her. B.E.N apologized again for the mess and offered the doctor and the captain drinks thinking they were a couple. Unfortunately his idea of 'drinks' were motor oil and some kind of bubbling green stuff.

"Look at these markings," The doctor said, gazing around the inside of B. home. "They're identical to the ones on the map. I suspect these to be the hieroglyphic remnants of an ancient culture."

"Mr. Hawkins," The captain ordered. "Stop anyone who tries to approach!"

The doctor told her to stop giving orders and to take it easy.

"So on a scale of one to ten, just how much of a problem are these pirates?" Rachel asked, trying to break the ice. Not much of an ice breaker in Bryan's opinion but if they were going to help these people they would need their trust.

"At least eleven." Jim answered, distain dripping from his tone. Bryan wondered if this was somehow personal.

"They were our crew." The captain said weakly. "But they were only waiting for us to lead them here before they struck."

"So what's your story?" Jim asked Rachel. "Your brother said you were looking for something."

"Indeed." The doctor agreed. "If not for the treasure, what could have brought you all the way out here?"

"We're really not supposed to say." Bryan answered. "But believe us, it is really important."

"Incidentally," Rachel cut in. "There wouldn't happen to be a captain among those pirates by the name of Hook, would there?"

"Odd question." Dr. Doppler replied.

"Sorry." Rachel said. "We just lost a friend a while ago to a pirate captain called Hook. We haven't been able to find him or our friends since. When you mentioned pirates I just thought I'd ask."

Jim looked at her with a new air of respect. Bryan wondered if he too respected the loyalty that was supposed to be between friends.

"Maybe we can ask them!" B.E.N started shouting. "Here's s'more of your buddies! Hey fellas! We're over here fellas!"

He waved wildly at something down below then did a strange evasive dance as beams of light started coming through the entrance way. Jim pulled him down and started firing back. Instantly Bryan and his sister had their keyblades in their hands. Suddenly everything stopped.

"Helllooo up there!" A male voice said after a moment.

Jim and Bryan got as close to the entrance as they dared so they could see but not become targets. A hand was reaching up from beneath a slope with a white flag. The rest of the pirates were down the hill, a cluster of Heartless among them.

"Jimbo!" The voice continued. A large man with a metal arm and mechanical leg climbed up the slope. "If-ah, if it's all right with de cap'in I'd like to have a short word wit ja. No tricks!" He promised.

"Come to bargain for the map. Doubtless!" The captain growled.

"That means…that he thinks we still have it." Jim said with a sly grin. "I can make this work." He stood up to meet with the man.

"We'll go with you in case he tries anything." Bryan said.

"No," Rachel held his arm to hold him back. "We're in this deep enough as it is. We need to be more careful about meddling. This isn't our fight."

Not knowing why she suddenly decided to get all mature Bryan reluctantly consented, but only on the condition they be at the ready in case anything went wrong.


	46. TreasurePlanet: Back Door

The wait was agony. Dr. Doppler explained the man outside was called John Silver. He had been the cook on the ship and had taken Jim under his wing for most of the journey, only to find out he was the captain of the pirate crew. The doctor was an old friend of Jim's mother and had seen the hardships he'd gone through as a child. Finally he seemed to have found stability in the lessons and friendship of the cyborg cook only to have that trust ripped away.

"I can't hear what they're saying!" Rachel said. "You know how I hate being out of the loop!"

"Wasn't it you that said not five minutes ago we're not supposed to meddle?" Bryan scolded. "You are just way to nosy sometimes." He looked over the edge of the entrance down at where the group of pirates was waiting for their captain to return. The Heartless were running about, swinging their swords about a short distance away. "They can't be controlling the Heartless can they? They're not attacking anyone."

"Must be the darkness in their hearts that's keeping the Heartless close. But you're right, if that's why they're around, why not just take their hearts and leave?"

"Speaking of darkness, did you feel something earlier?"

"You felt it too?"

"A cold and dark feeling?"

"Yeah. Right after that the first Heartless appeared."

"Same here. Must be the darkness brought on by the pirates."

Raised voices interrupted their discussion.

"That treasure be owed me by tunder!"

"Yeah! Well try to find it without **my** map '_by tunder'_!"

Those were not the most reassuring tones.

"-I'll use the ships cannons to blast ye all t' kingdom come!" The threat echoed across the empty plain a moment later, followed shortly by, "Now!" then silence. Silver went back down the hill and Jim came back inside.

"That didn't sound very promising." The doctor said.

"No," Jim answered.

"So what's the next step?" Bryan asked looking out again. The pirates were beginning to set up camp along the tree line.

"He wants the map but we can't give it to him even if we had it." Jim said.

"Do you think he's bluffing?" Rachel asked. "Even if he were to blast this place to the ground and us with it, he'd risk destroying the map."

* * *

Dusk melted into night almost without noticed. They could hear Heartless scuttling about outside or the dark shape of an Air Pirate gliding by but none of them came close to be a bother. Whatever kind of injury the captain had sustained was causing her feverish incoherencies as she tried to speak.

"Gentlemen…we must…stay together and-and…"

"What!" Dr. Doppler cried. "We must stay together and WHAT!?"

"Doctor, you have…wonderful eyes…"

"She's lost her mind!" The doctor said in a panic.

"Well you gotta help her!" Jim said.

"Dang it Jim! I'm an astronomer not a doctor! I mean I am a doctor but I'm not that kind of doctor! I have a doctorate it's not the same thing. You can't help people with a doctorate you just sit there and you're useless!" He said exasperated.

Rachel stepped in to do what she could see she should have done as soon as they arrived. She knelt down next to the captain, Moonlit Majesty in her hand. With the end held close to the injury the orb glowed a gentle green. Rachel didn't know what good that would do. She didn't know if Cure could be used to ail all kinds of maladies or not. To what extent the healing went they would have to wait to see. For now, Rachel could tell that at least the captain was more relaxed in her sleep.

"See, doc?" Jim said, patting his shoulder reassuringly. "Everything's ok. Everything's gonna be ok."

Jim went to the entrance where Bryan sat keeping watch. Rachel joined them a moment later.

"Yeah doc!" B.E.N said. "Jimmy knows exactly how to get out of this. It's just-it's just-Jimmy has this knowledge of things. Jim," He whispered. "Any thoughts at all?"

If ever a person looked stuck. Rachel could just about hear Jim's gears grinding as he went through and rejected every idea he came up with. She, of course, had to listen for it over the sound of her own gears having no better luck. Fighting the Heartless would have been easy. But there weren't just Heartless out there. And those laser pistols were new to them. What if they could inflict damage that couldn't easily be healed by a Keyblade? As much as she would have liked to believe there was nothing a Keyblade couldn't handle she knew it would be foolish to think of it as a truth.

Rachel got her brothers attention and signed in a charades sort of way that they could fly out quietly with everyone to get away. Bryan shook his head and jerked a thumb outside to one of the Air Pirate silhouettes. If there wasn't an enemy that might make a fuss if they tried to leave with four people they might have been able to try it. But if a pirate happened to be keeping watch and saw the fighting then he'd alert the others and the plan would fall apart anyway. Too bad pixie dust couldn't make you invisible.

Jim looked up to where the ship hovered in the sky. "Without the map we're dead." He looked to where the pirates were camped. "If we try to leave we're dead. If we stay here-."

"We're dead! We're dead, we're dead we're dead!" Morph mimicked, completely oblivious to the seriousness of the situation.

"We're not getting any good ideas either." Bryan said, gesturing between himself and his sister.

Jim looked on the verge of giving up.

"Well," B.E.N said, backing away quietly. "I think that Jimmy and friends could use a little quiet time. So I'll just slip out the back door."

"Back door?" Jim and Bryan said together, perking up like puppies that just heard the dinner bell.

"Oh yeah," B.E.N said as he rotated a huge ball-like thing in the floor at the back of his dwelling. As he moved it light shone from a hole in the center. "I get this delightful breeze through here. Which I think is important because ventilation among friends."

Jim, Rachel and Bryan rushed to it and looked down, much like children sticking their heads down a well to hear the echo. It seemed to go on forever. There were catwalks and pipes and sparking domes of circuitry everywhere. Lights glowed or blinked like eyes.

"Whoa!" Jim said in awe. "What is all this stuff?"

"You mean the miles and miles of machinery that run throughout the entire course of the inside of this planet? Not a clue."

"Hey doc! Doc! I think we've found a way out of here!" Jim started climbing the ball to jump down.

"No, no! Jim! Wait." Dr. Doppler tried to say. "The captain ordered us to stay-."

"I'll be back." Jim promised.

"I'm going with you." Bryan said.

"I can handle this."

"And I believe you, but I'm still going."

Rachel chuckled quietly and stepped back. She would stay behind just in case. Jim looked at Bryan for a second, then held out his hand to help him up. Rachel smiled; he'd seen what she had. Bryan wasn't questioning his ability; he just didn't want to be left behind when there was adventure to be had. The boys and Morph disappeared through the hole. "Cannonball!" And so did B.E.N.

"Good luck," She whispered. "Keep each other safe."


	47. TreasurePlanet: Find The Map

Bryan and Jim went as fast as they could while being as quiet as possible. Which was difficult when you were running along a metal catwalk in a metal tunnel with a metal robot on your heels. Everything echoed. They hoped it was just their concern about being discovered that made the sounds louder than they actually were.

Suddenly Bryan fell to his knees, one arm gripping the rail of the catwalk and the other clawing at the material of his shirt over his stomach. The feeling was back. That getting pancaked on the inside by something cold and heavy feeling. Bryan could feel his arm shake even though it was steadied by the railing.

Jim saw all this and skidded to a stop. "What's wrong?" He asked, concerned. "Bryan! Look at me! What happened?"

Bryan stared at Jim. His friend was in focus but for some reason his voice sounded all warbled. But just like last time the symptoms only lasted a few seconds.

"I-I…I really don't know." His voice wavered. "It…it happened this morning too. I thought it was because of the darkness the pirates brought with them. Now I'm not so sure. I'm fine now. Don't worry."

But Jim still offered him a hand to help Bryan stand up. His legs had that after-prickle feeling when your foot falls asleep. Walking felt strange but it was possible. But Bryan had to jog ahead and take the lead before Jim stopped looking at him like maybe he wasn't well enough to assist with the task.

After traveling an unknown distance they found a wide ladder that led upward. Not seeing many other options, they climbed it. It led to a trap door to the surface…not even a hundred yards from where the pirates had made camp. Bryan and Jim looked at each other, then around to best figure out how to get around them.

"So what's the plan!" B.E.N exploded from beneath, hitting his head against the trap door and smashing Morph into a hundred little pink blobs.

Horror kicked Bryan right in the stomach with a steel-toed boot. He looked between the pirates to see if they'd heard anything and B.E.N to shut him up.

"SHHH! Ben! Be quiet!" Judging by how tiny Jim's pupils had gotten he felt similarly.

The two boys pushed B.E.N back down into the hole, keeping his mouth shut for fear of future outbursts that could cost them. Bryan and Jim froze, only moving their eyes to see if the pirates had heard anything or were waking up. By some miracle they hadn't. They continued snoring, snorting or shuffling in their sleep but didn't appear to be phased from it. The tension diffused slightly.

"Ok, here it is." Jim whispered, looking between B.E.N and Bryan. "We sneak back to the Legacy, disable the laser cannons and bring back the map."

"That's a good plan," B.E.N said as best he could with Jim's hand still over his mouth. "I like that plan. The only thing is, I'm wondering, is how do we get there?"

Bryan looked at Jim with the same question. He knew how _**he**_ could get there. But he wasn't sure how the others would feel about it. As much as he loved to fly he knew he couldn't just fling the secret around like pudding at a food fight.

"On that." Jim pointed to the longboat the pirates had come down on.

* * *

Slowly and gently Jim docked the longboat alongside the ship. He, Bryan, Morph and B.E.N peaked over the railing. So far so good. No pirates or Heartless. Bryan and Jim jumped over the rail with ease. B.E.N was not so graceful. Tip-toeing and looking around all the while the group made their way to the ships hold. They made their way to the bottom of the steps, growing more confident they were alone.

"Ok, I'll get the map," Jim whispered.

"I'll keep an eye out for Heartless." Bryan said.

Jim nodded. "Ben, you wait here and-."

"Roger Jimmy! I'll neutralize laser cannons SIR!" The swing of his salute caught Morph and smacked him into little pieces again. Twice in ten minutes. The little blob did not look happy.

"Wait! No, no! Be-!"

"Yo ho yo ho a pirates life for me. Bar-rump ba-dum bar-rump ba-dum!" The robot sang as he wheeled himself away.

Both cabin boy and key bearer rolled their eyes and shook their heads. Too late to try and stop him with a job that needed doing. They split up.

The ship was the most amazing thing. There were no port towns near Hollow Bastion and blueprints in dusty old library books could really give any justice to what a real ship could look like. Obviously this was quite different but still amazing. It was built out of wood but everything was run by machine! Huge pieces of metal were everywhere, lined with bolts and cables and wires and all sorts of things he wasn't sure how to name. Bryan wondered what it might feel like to actually sail...or fly in a ship like this.

Much to his displeasure, Bryan could hear that ever-familiar sound coming from beyond where he could see. But when he got there the only thing that remained was a faint odor of darkness. The doctor did say Shadows had been seen on the ship. Hopefully that's all he was hearing now. He could hear them but he never saw any. Not like that was a bad thing. So long as they weren't obviously bothering Jim or B.E.N no sense making a fuss and risk getting unwanted attention. Confident there were no Heartless that were an immediate problem Bryan rounded back before he got lost.

Suddenly a blaring alarm made him jump clean out of his skin. Had one of them tripped an alarm by accident? Or had B.E.N pulled the wrong wire while 'disabling' the laser cannons? It only lasted for a few seconds but it still gave him an adrenaline rush he didn't need. Bryan ran down the corridor. He'd better find B.E.N. and assist before he found the self-destruct button or something by accident. Jim bolted from the lower levels with something the size of a softball in his hand. He looked at Bryan with an annoyed look before he continued running. He didn't appear too thrilled with the alarm going off and he suspected what caused it. Bryan followed close behind.

"That robot's gonna get us all," Jim froze so quickly Bryan ran into him. "Killed."

Bryan followed Jim's gaze upward and his stomach fell. Something huge and spider-like was blocking the exit. It looked down on them with huge red eyes that were hungry for violence. It opened a menacing red claw when it saw them.

"Cabin boy." The Scroop growled.


	48. TreasurePlanet: Scroop

If ever there was a look of someone with a score to settle. The spider thing wasn't at all phased to see Jim wasn't alone. It lunged down the stairs after Jim and Bryan. Neither hesitated a second to bolt. Bryan was all for fighting his way out but an all-out battle in a narrow hallway had all the makings for trouble. He and Jim threw crates and barrels and whatever else they could find behind them in an attempt to slow their assailant down. Unfortunately, being a spider-thing enabled Scroop to crawl quickly over any surface without much, if any, difficulty. Morph made a terrified noise and it was followed by a skidding sound, an annoyed growl then a bizarre plinking sound in the pipes overhead. Neither Bryan or Jim looked over their shoulders to figure out what had happened. But Morph must have done something because, Bryan at least could sense, they had gained a lead.

Jim saw a corner big enough to hide behind between the machinery and pulled Bryan behind it. They both held their weapons and close and took short, calming breaths. Why couldn't it have been a Heartless? Bryan actually thought it was until it spoke. This thing wasn't just an empty shell of darkness void of emotion, driven only by some kind of primal instinct to seek out hearts. Whatever issue it had with Jim (or maybe it was just always grumpy) there was no question of the malevolence in its eyes. It would seriously hurt them if it could. And it was after them. Bryan glanced at Jim who silently nodded. Now or never.

With laser pistol at the ready and Keyblade held high and ready to strike the boys leapt from their hiding place, only to find themselves face to face with Scroop. The tactic worked. They caught the alien by surprise and were about to raise their weapons to strike first-

The lights went off.

B.E.N must have pulled the wrong cord again. Some peoples timing was just too poor to be allowed. Bryan felt for Jims shoulder in the dark and pulled him back, holding his Keyblade before them both. The emergency lights came on a few seconds later. In the red glow they could see the hallway was empty. They looked the other way. He wasn't behind them either. Bryan and Jim shuffled so they were standing back to back. Had it backtracked to sneak up on them later? It was pretty large and there was nothing in the hallway big enough for it to hide behind. The light wasn't off long enough for it to have gotten ahead of them somehow and disappear behind a corner. Bryan could smell darkness in the air. This thing was clearly evil but the small hung in the air like a mist, there was no way to pinpoint its source and he was hardly a bloodhound.

Suddenly a sharp squeak followed by an annoyed grunt of pain directed their attention upward. Scroop had been hiding above them, his legs stretched across the piping of the corridor. Before Bryan or Jim could react the spider swung viciously at them, knocking them both back. Bryan could hear the clatter of Jim's pistol as it flew from his hand to the floor. Scroop saw his chance and pounced, pinning Jim in place, his horrid claw clicking menacingly. Bryan scrambled to his feet and lunged at the ugly thing. He swung hard; the feathered teeth of Sign of Spring glistened like spears in the red light. Scroop saw the attack coming and held up a thick forearm to block the blow. He grunted when struck but wasn't put off enough not to react by kicking Bryan hard with two spindly but strong legs. The impact sent Bryan crashing into the crates and barrels of the corridor.

Without warning everything started floating! It was like getting sprinkled with pixie dust for the first time only there was no control whatsoever. Jim saw his chance and kicked Scroop hard with both feet, pushing him away, causing him to break through the wooden lattice above them. Only now they were exposed to the outside. They floated up quickly. Jim didn't have a chance to grasp the edge of the hole. Bryan bumped the ceiling then clawed his way to the opening but he was too late to grab Jim's hand before it disappeared.

Bryan hooked the teeth of his Keyblade beneath the ledge of the hole, holding on tight to keep from floating away. He looked around rapidly, assessing the situation and looking for Jim. Jim and Scroop had gone up much higher than Bryan thought. Jim was all the way at the top mast, desperately clutching the ships flag to keep from floating away. Scroop had clung to the mast itself and was climbing it quickly. Bryan could see Jim reach for something but it floated beyond his grasp. It must have been the pistol. Now he had nothing to defend himself with.

The key bearer crouched low on the deck then sprung upward with all his strength. Aided by whatever was making them weightless he gained distance quickly. Scroop was at the crows nest now. Bryan tried to gain thrust with whatever he could square his feet on. Jim had scrambled to cling to the mast. Scroop's body tensed and he lunged at him, determined to send him flying helplessly into oblivion. With one quick move (most likely brought on by panic of survival instincts) Jim curled his feet beneath him, rocketed himself onto Scroop's back and kicked, sending the spider flying and entangling itself in the flag. The rope holding the flag snapped and the Scroop floated away into the starry abyss screaming.

But the trouble hadn't passed yet. Jim was barely holding the metal of the mast with his fingertips. As hard as he tried he couldn't get a better grip and was slipping. The time for discretion was over. Bryan caught himself in mid-air. Even no gravity held no sway over one who could fly. Just in time too.

"No! No!" Jim finally couldn't hold on any longer and started to float away.

Relishing the control of weightlessness, Bryan lunged for him, grabbed his arm and brought him back down. He steadied himself against the mast. Jim stared at him, wide-eyed and bewildered with lingering panic when the thought he was sure to float away. He looked at Bryan in such a strange way the key bearer almost laughed. Although he was anchored now, the rest of Jim's body still floated upward like a balloon. Bryan too was floating yet he remained in one place. Jim made a sound like he was about to say something when gravity got turned back on and they both thudded in the crow's nest, startled by the sudden change. Finally they could rest. Scroop was gone and Bryan could sense no strong Heartless.

The communication pipe started to tremble and shake. A blackened Morph popped out of it, coughing.

"Morph?" Jim asked, a little dazed. The pink blob chittered at him.

"Laser cannons disconnected Captain Jimmy Sir! Gee, that wasn't so tough." B. voice called from down below. He was wrapped in sparking cables like Christmas lights.

Bryan shook his head. When all else fails, just pull every wire. He looked to Jim. "Did you get what we came for?"

Jim nodded and pulled the sphere from his pocket.

"That's the map?"

"Yeah."

"I guess I was expecting it to be flatter."

Jim chuckled. "So what was that a second ago? With the artificial gravity off, we both should be space debris by now."

"A secret I'm not really supposed to show unless an emergency." Bryan shrugged. "Rachel can do it too."

Jim looked impressed. "C'mon, they're waiting for us." 


	49. TreasurePlanet: Outwitted

Bryan helped pull Jim and B.E.N out of the hole back in B. house. They had been able to get back inside without a hitch. Immediately Jim had the map in hand and bolted to where the captain had been sleeping.

"Doc! Doc, wake up. I got the map." Jim said excitedly and a little breathless.

A shape shifted in the darkness and a hand of long metal fingers took the map.

"Fine work, Jimbo." Silver said. "Fine work indeed."

Only then did Bryan see just how much danger they were in. All the pirates had gotten inside somehow. As soon as the pirates revealed themselves the Heartless appeared. The captain and Dr. Doppler were tied up and gagged. A creature with a face like the cross between a snail and a bulldog had its four tentacle-like arms bound around Rachel like ropes. All of the pirates were armed. Bryan was about to draw his Keyblade but he saw his sister shaking her head. Reluctantly he decided against it. He would have to trust she had a reason for not fighting back.

"Thanks for showin' us the way in, boys." One of the pirates sneered as the lot of them circled Bryan and Jim.

They were both seized. At the moment there was nothing they could do. Captain Silver strode toward them, casually tossing the map in his hand. A triumphant smile at his lips.

"Ye jus' like me, Jimbo, ye hates t' lose." He said.

Jim struggled against his captors, his expression a mix of betrayal and loathing.

"An' I see ye got some new friends too. How fortunate. We'll be needin' all the able backs we c'n get to cart back me treasure."

The other pirates chuckled. Silver laughed at his own joke and started prodding and twisting on the sphere. But whatever was supposed to be happening wasn't. Silver changed the gadgets in his arm several times to open the map but it did nothing.

"What the devil?" He groaned, not understanding why nothing he tried made the map give up its secret. The cyborg looked at Jim who only smiled and shook his head wryly. "Open it!" Silver demanded, pushing the sphere into Jim's hands.

Jim glared back with a mix of hatred and defiance.

"Don't!" Bryan said. "We can get out of this, we ju-."

The pirate holding Bryan shoved him forcefully to where his sister and the others were being held and pushed him hard to his knees. Even through gags or restraints they made it known to Jim he couldn't give the pirates what they wanted.

Silver's arm twisted about to a pistol took the place of his hand. "I'd get busy." He said with a threatening promise.

Jim looked visibly torn. Finding this treasure was important to him. But so was not letting the greedy pirates get their first. Yet that couldn't compare to the safety of his friends.

Bryan struggled against the alien pirate holding him. He and Rachel could take them, he knew they could. If they could fight Nature's End, the Mountainside and Madam Mim, they could take down the pirates and their Heartless minions. One of them could fight the Heartless, the other the pirates. It would be just like with Madam Mim. Bryan wanted to say something to let Jim know he and Rachel could handle it. But he also knew the pirate restraining him would do more than tell him to be quiet with a shove next time. Bryan looked to his sister. She looked scared but that didn't mask her thinking face. Good! She was thinking about how to get out of this too! Now if only they could just communicate somehow. All they needed to do was change the rules. Change the rules then they could get the upper hand.

_But that's meddling._ A voice in his head reminded him.

_No,_ he countered. _That's surviving._

_You're key bearers, not gods. You defend the light and those hurt by darkness. You draw enough attention to yourselves and alter the courses of others just by being places as it is. You can't just shuffle the pieces because you don't like the way the game is going. Be cautious but let it play out first. _

_Great, my conscious talks like my sister_. But Bryan knew it was right. He didn't like it, but he knew it was right.

Silver clicked the pistol as a warning. Jim made his decision. Without looking at hit he tapped and twisted the map like a spherical rubix cube and it opened with hundreds of tendrils of bright green light. The light left the orb and formed a holographic image of the planet in front of them.

"O' the powers that be would je' look!" Silver said in awe.

The image of the planet dissolved and became a beam of light that twisted outside the structure and pulsed every few seconds. Silver laughed and ordered them all to be tied up and left there while he and his crew pursued the treasure. But he hadn't even completed the order before the beam dissolved and retreated back into the map. Jim had deactivated it.

"You want the map," He said cooly. "You're takin' me too. And them." He looked to the key bearers.

At first Silver grunted at the defiance. But then he chuckled and shook his head. Bryan wasn't sure what he was looking at. Was that a flicker of respect?

"We'll take 'em all!"


	50. TreasurePlanet: Flint's Trove

Pirates and captives alike squeezed into the longboat and followed the path of beaming light created by the map. The captives were either bound tight or held at gunpoint so they couldn't try anything. The farther they traveled, the faster the light pulsed.

As the light pulsed faster the longboat was docked and the pirates continued on foot. A huge ugly alien stayed behind with the doctor and the captain. Bryan kept close to his sister. They'd have a better chance in a fight if they stuck together.

"Why didn't you fight them when they first snuck in last night?" Bryan took the opportunity to whisper. "Why aren't we going in guns blazing now? They're so keen on being so close to the treasure we could attack while they're distracted."

"I didn't take care of the pirates last night because of the doctor and the captain." Rachel whispered back. "I knew I wouldn't have been able to fight them all off and still keep them safe. Even when you got there the pirates would have had their pistols out and ready to hurt them at the first sign of us retaliating."

Sometimes he really hated it when she made sense.

They stuck close to Jim and B.E.N too. Morph made worried little chitters from his hiding place in Jim's pocket.

"Guys, I-i don't know about you b-but I'm starting to see my life pass in front of my eyes. At least, I think it's my life. WAS I EVER DANCING WITH AN ANDROID NAMED LUPE!?"

"Ben!" Rachel scolded as Jim shooshed him.

"This isn't over yet." Jim promised.

Silver led the way through a thick cluster of the strange bamboo like plants. The light beam pulsed faster and faster like a terrified heartbeat. The rouges were getting more and more excited.

"We're getting close, lads! I smell treasure a-waitin'!" Silver cried.

The pirates cheered, hardly able to contain themselves. Silver grabbed Jim by his shirt front and pulled him along. Other crewmembers pushed Bryan and Rachel pushed them forward. Silver rotated his mechanical arm into a sword and cut through the wall of plants. The mood died instantly.

They were on the edge of a cliff. It was the highest point of the planet Bryan had yet seen. The beam of light stopped in mid-air. It just stopped.

"Where is it!" One of the aliens growled.

"I see nu-ting! One great stinking hunk of nu'ting!" A slug-like creature with six eyes shouted angrily.

The light disappeared back into the map and the sphere closed itself.

"What's goin' on Jimbo!" Silver demanded.

_Right, like he's gonna have all the answers._ Bryan thought.

Jim tried pushing the 'buttons' and twisting like he had before but the map wouldn't give itself up. "I don't know. I can't get it open!"

The pirates were growing more and more angry. Heartless were beginning to appear again around them, drawn by the emotions.

"We should'a never have followed this boy!" A strange creature with a head, arms and no body declared as she jumped and pushed Jim to the ground.

"I suggest you get that gizmo goin' again and fast!" Silver growled.

Bryan's fingers twitched, ready to summon his Keyblade. It seemed like any second the crew would turn into a lynch mob, shouting things like "Let's rip 'is gizza'd righ' out of 'im!" and "Throw him over cliff!" And they weren't talking about just Jim either. The Pirate Heartless were doing some kind of antsy dance and swung their swords about, excited by the rage.

Bryan saw Jim brush away some lichen on the ground. What had he seen? It looked like he put the map on the ground and suddenly the cliff edge glowed green and pulsed away from the center point like a ripple! The light faded then a glowing green orb appeared from where Jim had placed the map. Several points of light rushed in from across the shallow valley before them to the cliff. They converged and shot straight up in the air then opened at the bottom to create a big triangle. The green and yellow light within it faded to reveal some kind of blue and white smoky-lookin' thing.

"Ah have mercy…" Silver said with breathless awe. The pirates were now staring at the new sight and the Heartless had calmed down.

"The Lagoon Nebula?" Jim said bewildered.

Bryan decided he'd have to take his word for it.

"But…tha's half way across the galaxy." Silver said.

Interesting.

"A big door…" Jim said thoughtfully. He touched the green orb. It was covered with all kinds of bizarre symbols. Every time he did the triangle became clouded with green and yellow light then the image cleared to reveal something new. "…opening and closing."

Nagged by a child-like desire Bryan reached out and touched it too. The door opened to yet another spectacular place. Cool.

"Let's see…Kynapis," Jim said, pointing to a symbol he recognized. "Montressor space port!" His eyes lit up a little as he touched the symbol of a crescent moon. The door opened and closed again to a place that looked like a crescent moon made of machinery. "So that's how Flint did it!" Jim declared. He kept touching symbols on the orb. "He used this…_portal_ to roam the universe stealing treasure!"

Bryan could tell he was thrilled to learn the truth about a childhood fairy tale.

"But where'd 'e stash it all!" Silver griped and pushed Jim and Bryan out of the way. He pressed symbol after symbol but none of the opened doors led to where he wanted. "Where's! Dat! Blasted! Treasure!" His frustration aggravated the Heartless.

"Treasure!" B.E.N cried. He clawed at his head, struggling to remember why talk of treasure sounded so familiar. "Treasure…it's buried in the-!"

"-buried in the centroid of the mechanism." Jim finished thoughtfully.

_Centroid of the mechanism? Bingo. That's where we need to be._ Bryan thought.

"What if the whole planet _**is**_ the mechanism? And the treasure is buried in the center of this planet?" Jim said, his tone of delighted realization growing with every word.

The crew behind them grabbed their shovels and pick axes and tried to chip through the ground with all their might. Only problem was the ground was made primarily of metal.

"An' how in blue blazes are we supposed to get there!" Silver napped, pressing more and more symbols and still finding nothing.

"Just, open the right door."

Jim reached his hand inside the orb and touched the image of the planet the map had conjured when it was first opened. The door closed then opened again. The image within the portal had strange copper stalactites hanging from a very high ceiling. Bryan and Jim stepped forward, tentatively reaching out their hands. It was like touching a sheet. It gave under their touch and the light distorted around it. As they continued to push their hands went right through it. Rachel, B.E.N, Silver and the other pirates followed. The Heartless remained gathered just outside the door. What held them back Bryan didn't know. All the same, it couldn't be good.

Before them was by far the most outstanding sight Bryan had yet seen. The center of the planet was a rotating orb that glowed in its own radiance of what had to be tons upon tons of gold and jewels. The pirates cheered and rushed by, diving into the gilded field.

"The loot of a thousand worlds!" Silver said in awe as his crew ran passed like an insane mob.

The rapscallions gathered up as much loot as their arms could carry. Some rolled in it and others tossed it in the air, letting it rain down on them.

"We are going to need a bigger boat!" The slug cheered.

Rachel grabbed Bryan's upper arm fiercely. The suddenness startled him. She hadn't exactly tried to keep her nails from digging into him like claws. When their eyes met she jerked her head off to her left. He tried to follow where she was looking.

The copper stalactites were actually huge pipes of some kind that shot beams of energy into the gilded ball, keeping it in stasis. Between them on the ceiling lots and lots of glyphs were etched into the metal. They resembled the ones on the map. But in a large gap between the pipes (Bryan was unsure how exactly Rachel had seen it so quickly) the symbols were heavily concentrated. And within the negative space of the images was the shape…

…of a keyhole.


	51. TreasurePlanet: The Entwiner

"This is all seeming…very familiar." B.E.N said with the slow voice one tends to have when they're deep in thought. "But I c-can't remember why."

"Ben, guys." Jim said. "C'mon. we're getting' out of here and we're not leaving empty-handed.

Quickly but quietly Jim, B.E.N, Rachel and Bryan crossed the entrance platform to what Jim had seen. It was a small ship with torn red sails and some kind of mechanical spidery legs on top of a mountain of gold. The key bearers followed but broke off when they were at the base of the golden mountain.

"Where are you going!" Jim hissed.

"We'll be right back." Bryan promised. "Just go."

Out of view of the pirates Rachel and Bryan sprinted across the gold toward the image of the keyhole. This had to be it. With Keyblades in hand they got as close as they could. Rachel closed her eyes and tried to feel what being in the presence of a Keyhole felt like to draw upon the memory later. Sure enough, they had found what they were looking for. In the presence of the Keyblades, the image of the keyhole began to glow, revealing the true Keyhole. Rachel held out Moonlit Majesty, and Bryan Sign of Spring. The ends glowed and released a beam of beautiful white light. The beams met and hit the center of the Keyhole at the same time. Rachel smiled when she heard the sound of a heavy latch closing. This universe was now safe from the Heartless.

With their mission complete Rachel and Bryan dispensed with subtlety and flew to the ship called _The Rosmuras_. Jim and B.E.N had just climbed on board.

"Captain Flint!" They heard Jim exclaim.

Rachel landed behind Jim and nearly gasped out loud when she saw what he had.

"In the flesh!" B.E.N declared in nervous awe.

Before them, on a golden throne sat the skeleton of the infamous Captain Flint. Even in death his presence was daunting. And even in death Rachel could feel the greed that must have flowed in life.

"Well, sort've except for skin organs or anything that-that-that resembles flesh…that's not there." B.E.N continued.

Rachel, Bryan and Jim approached the bizarre remains. It was creepily fascinating. Clothes hung limply off its bony shoulders and oddly enough the hair was still in place despite the scalp rotting and drying up years ago.

"And yet it's so odd, y'know. I remember there was something horrible Flint didn't want anyone else to know. But, I just I-I-I can't remember what it was!"

Bryan noticed something in the skeletal clutches of the old captain's hand. Jim pried the dry bones apart to reach it. It was metal and could fit in his palm. It looked like it was supposed to be a piece of something bigger.

"Oh a mind is a terrible thing to lose!" B.E.N wailed.

"Ben! I think I just found your mind. Hold still!" Jim held the piece level to the open space on the back of B. head.

"Jimmy! Yer-yer hands are very very cold-!" The exposed wires in B. head connected with the memory chip and the entire piece snapped back into place. "Whoa!" B. head swiveled around. Strings of numbers flashed in front of his eyes then he snapped back to coherency and the lights of his eyes had gone from green to blue. "Hello!" He suddenly had a new atmosphere about him. "Y'know guys, I was just thinking..I was just THINKING! It's all flooding back! All my memories! Right up until Flint pulled my memory circuit so I could never tell anybody about his BOOBY TRAP!"

The mood sunk to the floor like a rock.

"_Booby trap_!?" The three friends said together with varying degrees of disbelief and panic.

"So we're basically standing on a planet-wide land mine!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Flint wanted to make sure that nobody could ever steal his treasure so he rigged this whole planet to blow higher than a kylipsian kite!"

"When is this supposed to go off!" Bryan, much like everyone, wanted to know.

"I-I-I don't know!" B.E.N admitted. He spoke very fast. "I helped Flint create the system that would enable the explosion but only he could set the timer! We could have minutes or even seconds!"

"We still have time to get out of here if we hurry." Rachel said. Now was not the time to be picky so they could fly Jim and B.E.N out of there in a minute easily. "Just fill up your pockets as you run."

"No way!" Jim said. "I've come too far to leave with just a handful. If I could just get this ship up and running again. Ben! You go back and help the captain and Doc. If I'm not there in five minutes, leave without me." He dove beneath the control panel of the ship. It might be a long shot after so many years of disuse but desperate times, after all call for desperate measures.

"I am not leaving any of my buddies!" B.E.N grabbed Jim by his shoes and pulled him out from under the console. The I'm-not-kidding glare he received was enough to change his mind. "Unless…he looks at me like that….bye guys!" And he bolted.

"You guys should go to." Jim said, stripping wires.

"And leave you in a time bomb with pirates and possibly Heartless?" Bryan said. "What can we do to help?" He knelt down by the console, waiting for Jim to tell him what he needed.

Suddenly the ship shifted and rocked. Everyone froze. Had they done that? No. Even standing stock still the ship rocked again, the gold mountain beneath it was shifting! Rachel called Moonlit Majesty to her hand. Bryan had done the same with Sign of Spring. Cautiously they walked to opposite sides of the ship, looking over for what had caused the movement. Was it the booby trap getting set off? Was the floor going to give out? Rachel shivered. A ripple of goose bumps swept across her arms. Even over the sound of cheering pirates and clicking and buzzing of the console trying to come to life that sound was unmistakable. To confirm her suspicion something exploded from the treasure mound beneath them and flailed itself on the deck, showering them with gold.

A serpentine Heartless crashed itself on the deck and reared its head up menacingly. It wrapped its sparkling coils around itself, poised to strike. A half-dozen or so Pirate Heartless joined it. It had a head much like a snake and huge jeweled eyes. Its body was in several segments that made it look like it was put together with toy pieces. Only the toy pieces were made of treasure chests, huge bars of gold and long jewels of every color. Baseball sized pearls connected the pieces. Interlocking pieces of silver made up the last third of its tail. The Gilded Entwiner flicked its glittery tongue and showed off its long crystaline teeth. The thing was actually _made_ of treasure!

Rachel launched herself at the Heartless. Bryan was on her heels. It also lunged forward, its Pirate minions swinging their swords menacingly then they followed. The Pirates were easy. The Entwiner wasn't. It liked to attack with its whole body, anchoring its head and upper body to the ground and sweeping the rest of its length across the deck. It would either cause them to trip them or push such a huge spray of treasure reigning down on them they had to dodge roll and take cover. Getting pelted with thousands of gold coins hurt! It didn't help any some of those treasures had to be jewels with pointy ends.

Thankfully it seemed to take damage anywhere on its body. The only downside was whether or not they could catch it. The Entwiner twisted around a lot and moved quickly. It pushed a lot of gold off and around the deck, making the surface slippery to run across. More and more Pirates appeared after the first waves were defeated. How the other pirates could be so engrossed with trying on crowns and doing the backstroke in coins they couldn't hear the fight was largely a mystery. Bryan struck the Entwiner hard in the head many times. With a mighty swing the pointed teeth of Sign of Spring hit hard right in its eye, breaking the vibrant jewel. The Entwiner flailed and writhed and smacked its tail hard against the deck, uncaring what it was striking. If Heartless had a voice, it would have been shrieking. But now it was also angry. It was careful not to let Bryan or anyone get near it again.

Rachel learned the hard way that attacking the Entwiner's body with magic was a bad call. The magic was absorbed into the jewels and did nothing to hurt it. Sapphires glittered as they were filled with electricity and the amethyst looked positively stunning with flickering flames dancing within it. The problem would be waiting to find out if it could release the magic it had trapped. So far it hadn't but that didn't mean it couldn't.

Rachel could sense her brothers' frustration. They could both tell the head was the weakest spot but after the injury to its eye, the Heartless wasn't about to let either of them get close. And neither of them were interested to find out if its teeth could actually puncture skin. The fangs were as big around as her thumb at the base. Bryan liked fighting with a long ranged weapon. But Sign of Spring was not long range. Between striking down Pirates and nailing any attack she could on the Entwiner Rachel saw her brother look at her, seeking an ok to step back from the fight to switch to a more suitable Keyblade. She nodded, freeze-blasting nearby Pirates that were getting too close to Jim.

He was making great progress getting the engines going again. But there were still hiccups in the system. After so many years of just sitting there in a stale environment not all the parts wanted to work right and had to be coaxed into functioning properly.

A loud explosion reverberated across the metal interior of the planet. A ring of mines or something had been placed along the base of one of the energy pipes. The booby traps timer had finally gone off. It fell and hit the treasure covered core of the planet, splitting the panels beneath like how an axe creates a wedge in wood. With the stasis disrupted, more and more inner panels began to shift apart. Gold and jewels thunderously cascaded into the cracks between the pieces. With the pieces no longer in their proper places, the energy beams keeping the core stable zapped whatever they hit. The pirates ran about like madmen screaming.

But that didn't sway the Entwiner and the battle wasn't about to fall apart just because the planet was. Bryan took to the air above the fight. He reached into his side pouch and fiddled around until he found the little red and blue drum. The Entwiner, had not overseen his distraction and took advantage of it. Bryan hadn't gone up high enough for a determined enemy to not reach. The Entwiner reached its tail up high and swatted him hard, sending him tumbling.

And sent the keychain flying.

"No!" He shouted. Bryan dove for it but missed catching it in midair.

The key chain spun in the air and landed in the torrent of falling treasure. Bryan dove for it with a fervor he rarely exhibited for anything. He was not about to lose his best keyblade. Bryan skidded on his knees on the gold coins. The red and blue of the drum appeared, disappeared then reappeared as the treasure shifted as it fell. He grabbed and clawed at the gold, throwing away handful after handful that didn't contain the prize he was after. Treasure was falling off the edge quickly. The metal panels were almost completely bare. He would dive into the hot core if he had to if it meant he could save his Keyblade. With one last desperate grasp Bryan threw himself forward into the last pile of treasure. He looked at the contents of his hands. Right hand. Nothing but gold. Left hand. Gold. A star-shaped sapphire. And a shiny drum.

Bryan was so relieved he forgot for a second to breathe. His sister's cry of pain brought his attention to the fight still on the ship.


	52. TreasurePlanet: Injured

The ship was rocking again. The mound of gold beneath it had begun to slide. With a great swing Rachel called the Wind and sent the remaining Pirates flying. She waited but no other Pirates appeared. But the Entwiner still remained. Suddenly the ship began to slide down the mountain of gold, angling heavily. The Entwiner wrapped itself around one of the masts. Jim held on to the console to keep from sliding.

Rachel stiffened her stance, doing her best to anchor herself. Yes, she could have just flown up a few inches so she didn't have to worry about it at all but not everybody thinks of all things at all times. The hills of treasure on the deck began sliding off. It was sad to feel all that wealth just slide by her ankles but she couldn't let her affinity for sparkly things distract her when there was still a Heartless at large. Too bad her focus on keeping her footing prevented her from seeing a more obvious danger.

The ship had slid off the treasure pile completely and slowly began to level out. But the momentum of the heavier objects could not just be stopped. Rachel turned around too late to see a huge chest of gold sliding directly at her. She cried out sharply as the chest cracked against her legs.

Rachel fell over the chest as it slid by, breaking the railing as it went. Piles of treasure fell through the hole like water through a broken dam. Rachel curled her legs up under herself, jaw clenched tightly and trying not to scream. She could feel it, yet she couldn't. She wanted to shriek but her voice was gone. For a few seconds all she could see were white flashing lights.

Rachel was vaguely aware of Jim shouting her name. Or it could have been her brother. Between the explosions and everything suddenly sounding very strange it was hard to tell. She couldn't tell if she were crying or not even though her eyes felt very hot. This was sure to be the greatest pain she'd ever felt. Saying it would bruise in the morning would have been a serious understatement. If her tibias weren't broken they were most certainly fractured.

The Entwiner seemed to smile at her moment of weakness, coiling up tight like a spring. Jim ran in front of her, holding a cutlass, ready to defend. But he didn't need to. Bryan flew at the Entwiner like a missile, striking repeatedly with forceful strikes. The serpentine beast reared its head back like a menacing hiss. It lost its interest in Rachel completely as it turned its attention to exact its revenge on Bryan. Jim rushed to her side now that Bryan had the Heartless under control.

Rachel did what she could to move. She uncurled herself slowly, much like trying to walk on that excruciating prickle-feeling when blood begins flowing again through a sleeping limb.

"Rachel! Rachel, what can I do?" Jim said in a panic. "Are you alright?"

"What do you think!" The pain snapped more so than Rachel did. With an iron grip on her Keyblade Rachel held the orb of Moonlit Majesty over her shins, green magical light shining brightly. "I-I-I think I can heal myself. Just give me…just give me a minute. Fix the ship. We still need to get out of here."

Jim looked very reluctant to leave but did as she asked. Rachel managed to sit up, Moonlit Majesty emitting its healing glow in one hand. With the other she untucked her pant leg out from her boot. The chest had created a horrible scrape about four inches long. Under the gentle light of Cura the skin was visibly repairing itself. But how long would it take to completely heal a surface injury, let alone bone? Her fears about Cure's limits had returned. She could only ever remember using it to relieve fatigue and fix Heartless related injuries

Everything hurt. And trying to concentrate and stay vigilant while in intense pain was challenging to say the very least. If only her healing magic was stronger. Even if Cura could do the job, it was clear (judging by the time it was taking just to heal a scrape) it would take far too long.

She could fight long-range. But that would mean ending the healing spell in order to cast offensive magic. She could fly and not use her legs at all. But in order to fight effectively, she knew how much she twisted and moved about in midair. Even if her legs weren't supporting weight she would still have to move them. She couldn't risk being incapacitated by pain at a critical point in a battle or catch a foot on something as she went by it.

A terrible knowing feeling ate away at her stomach the longer Rachel tried to think of some solution of how to proceed. The same answer kept rolling back to her. There was no answer. She could barely move.

She couldn't fight.


	53. TreasurePlanet: Get Out Now!

Bryan struck at the Entwiner like a madman. The jeweled snake may not have injured his sister directly but he saw it as partly responsible for her getting hurt. The Entwiner smashed its tail against the deck like a club but Bryan twisted and dodged out of the way every time. A direct blow with the Saw Blade attack had snapped one of its crystal fangs clean off. The Entwiner coiled up tightly, its remaining eye flickering dangerously. The Heartless and key bearer squared off. Bryan was hovering in the air, blade held high.

Then, like a loaded spring the Heartless struck at Bryan, thrusting its entire body at him with the force of a cannon. Bryan smirked and dropped. The Entwiner soared right over him, writhing as it realized it had been tricked. While it was still airborne Bryan called forth all the magic he had and sent a cyclone of Wind after it, blasting the Entwiner away from the ship. Before the gilded Heartless had a chance to land an energy beam from above struck it and blasted it into a million pieces of gold and jewels.

_And good riddance_! Bryan thought as its sparkling gold rained down like a firework.

But that was all the gloating time he had. That beam was way too close. Thankfully he could hear a reassuring click and roar of the ships engines coming to life. They wouldn't have to be here much longer. Good. All the treasure had slid off the panels and the panels were shifting like ice cubes in water.

Bryan was at his sister's side in an instant. Her Keyblade was glowing brightly with healing magic. He too used Cure several times to help give her back her strength.

The ship began to rise.

"Yea! Guys we are so outta here!"

"Good! Now let's move!"

"Ah! Jimbo! A'ncha the seventh wonder of the universe." A new voice declared. It was Silver. He must have climbed aboard before the ship took off. In the midst of the explosions and the fighting they hadn't seen the pirate captain approach.

Bryan positioned himself defensively in front of his sister. Jim let go of the helm and took up the cutlass he had earlier.

"Get back!"

Silver glared at him. Even his mechanical eye glistened with malice. His body language tensed with resolve.

"I like ye lad," Silver said darkly. "But I've come too far te let ye stand between me and me treasure."

Bryan winced. Silver was surrounded by the odor of darkness. Without even being completely sure how he knew it, Bryan was certain the darkness he was sensing from the cyborg wasn't anger or malevolence. It was greed. The purest form of greed. Fueled by a lifelong obsession and desire to possess the legendary treasure.

And where there is darkness, there are Heartless.

A fleet of new Heartless appeared overhead. The Battleships and their one-eyed captains hovered above the ship, waiting for any excuse to strike.

Bryan didn't know what to do. Doctor Doppler said Jim and Silver were friends. Was it just a ruse? Would Silver really hurt Jim if it meant getting his hands on the remaining gold? Bryan didn't like the feeling of being overwhelmed in a dire situation. If Jim was really in danger, he'd have to help. But Rachel couldn't even stand up, he'd have to keep an eye on her too. And of course there were the Heartless. He doubted they would be as tough as the Entwiner but they were many and no doubt so long as there was greed in Silver's heart, more would find their way to them. He couldn't fight off the Heartless, help Jim and have his sisters back all at once.

Suddenly the ship was jostled hard. No one was at the helm so the ship was just floating among the now levitating panels. One of the panels struck the ship, sending them all toppling. Rachel's painful shriek chilled Bryan down to his spine. She must have rolled over her legs somehow. The flying Heartless were not at all put off by the collision. Silver was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he'd been knocked off the deck from the impact. Just as well. One less problem to deal with at the moment. What neither Bryan or Rachel had seen was Jim had slid through the hole created by the heavy chest.

Bryan helped his sister to a sitting position on a large crate behind the helm. If she couldn't fight the way she usually did she could at least guide the ship from crashing again.

The Battleships had two unpleasant ways of attacking. The ship would either rev up and charge with a force field barrier forming around the bow for a strong, blunt impact or just say 'the heck with subtleties' and start firing cannonballs. Bryan took to the air to engage the flying Heartless. He used every combo attack he knew. Nothing says urgency like being inside an exploding bomb.

This was of course proven when an energy beam blasted a large bite-shaped chunk out of the side of the ship and was dragging itself inward. Wood and a huge pile of gold dissolved like sugar in water. No doubt the beam would have gone all the way through and taken off the entire bow but something moved the ship out of its way. Bryan assumed it was his sister redirecting it.

"Stop!"

At first Bryan thought Rachel was talking to him until he saw the Battleships in range of her spell freeze in midair. On top of that, she wasn't so incapacitated she couldn't blast fireballs at the enemies so long as they were in range. The battle was going good. Once again they had found a system. Bryan would do most of the heavy lifting while Rachel kept a good half of the Battleships frozen in time every time she used the spell. What they thought was taking many minutes was in fact only a few. Beating immobilized Heartless didn't take as much time as it felt like.

"Where's Jim?" Bryan asked, suddenly feeling like quite the fool for not noticing earlier Jim must have vanished the same time as Silver did. He flew up higher, beating the Battleships apart as he went.

When he spotted Jim every muscle in his chest tensed. Jim was in greater trouble than he could have realized. His friend was hanging on to one of the inner working pieces of the shifting panels. The ledge he had his fingers gripped to couldn't have been five inches wide and getting smaller. Silver stood on a platform, his cyborg arm had taken the shape of a clamp and was gripping the edge of the ships rail. With the other he reached for Jim, stretching as far as he could. For all the effort their hands still remained just out of reach. Bryan was about to dive to Jim's rescue but a Battleship rammed him from the side, sending him tumbling in the wrong direction. The Battleships, annoyingly, seemed to have figured out the time spell that immobilized their battle mates had a limited range. And most of them started avoiding Rachel completely, turning their attention to Bryan.

The ship started moving again. Silver had let go of the rail in order to reach Jim. The ship shifted back into the light beam, taking out another chunk of the deck before Rachel managed to redirect it. Amazingly, the ship did not lose altitude. Although changing direction so suddenly tilted the ship (and shed another large wave of coins) and bumped it hard against the platform Silver and Jim were standing on. They were only unsteady for a second but weren't such the fools not to jump on.

"Silver!" Jim exclaimed when they were on a steady surface. "You were willing to give up the-!"

A huge explosion rattled the core of the planet.

"Sentiment can wait! Get over here to drive this thing so we can get out of here!" Rachel shouted.

Bryan landed on what remained of the bow. He could sense a change in the air. Silver had made the right choice to save Jim. When he did, the greed in his heart must have dissipated, replaced by the light of selflessness kept tucked away for friends. The Heartless were flying around, much less interested and no new ones appeared now that their source of energy was gone.

Jim quickly checked the controls. More than half of the ships gilded cargo had fallen off but between the Entwiners bashing about and the two holes on the port side the thrusters remained intact. Without further hesitation Jim took the helm and took them back through the portal.

"Aloha Jimmy!"

B.E.N shouted from aboard the _Legacy_. The doctor and the captain had gotten the ship back and were waiting near the portal. Jim got the ship level with the _Legacy_.

"Hurry people we got exactly two minutes and thirty four seconds until planet's destruction!"

Not good. Jim gave the helm to Bryan. He and Silver jumped aboard the _Legacy_.

He heard other voices but was too focused on the task at hand to really listen. Sure, give him the wheel in a crisis situation when he had no idea what he was doing. The two vessels turned and raced across the bizarre and collapsing landscape. The metal pieces that made up the planet looked to be like one giant jigsaw puzzle and were coming apart. Fire and flaming pieces of metal went flying from the cracks. Bryan did what he could to keep the ship as close to the Legacy as he could without running into it. So far so good.

A piece of debris flew by and tore the tallest solar sail clean off the _Legacy's_ mast.

"Mizzon sail demobilized, cap'n. Thrusters at only thirty percent of capacity." B.E.N reported.

"Thirty percent!" The doctor exclaimed. "That means w…we'll never clear the planets explosion in time."

Bryan felt his brain freeze. He wasn't sure what to do. Could they jump ship onto the _Rosmuras_ and fly away on that. But did this ship have the power needed to clear the blast after so many years of disuse? It took Jim a fair amount of time to get it running. What if he couldn't coax any more power out of it? Maybe he and Rachel could coat one of the ships with pixie dust to give it extra flying power. But Bryan had no idea how far they had come. There was no way the dust they had would be enough to get them back to where ever they came from. The thrusters still wouldn't be fixed. They could burn out and be stranded in space.

"We gotta turn around!" Jim exclaimed from aboard the Legacy.

"What?" The captain declared.

"Are you crazy!" Bryan shouted over to him.

"The portal's back there!" Jim shouted back. "It can get us out of here!"

"Pardon me, Jim," the doctor said, "But doesn't that portal open onto a raging inferno!"

"Yes," Jim answered with a grunt. Bryan couldn't see passed the railing so he didn't know what Jim was up to. "But I'm gonna change that. I'm gonna open a different door!"

Doctor Doppler stuttered a bit about the improbability of the plan but Silver snapped at him to listen to Jim. Obviously Jim had a plan. Bryan would just have liked to be privy to it. Still, the key bearer trusted him. Bryan looked to his sister. She nodded.

"One minute twenty-nine seconds 'til planet's destruction!"

Bryan began to turn the ship. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jim and Silver slide a piece of metal that looked like a warped surfboard onto the railing. Jim stood on it. He spoke but Bryan couldn't quite make out the words.

"Fifty-eight seconds!"

A small thruster roared to life on the back of the metal sheet and Jim took off on it. The _Legacy_ turned around to follow.

As the ultimate detonation drew nearer the planet broke apart fast. Bryan had to be on his toes the while time to maneuver the _Rosmasus_ through the field of floating debris without crashing. He tried to keep an eye on Jim in the distance whenever he could but preventing himself or his sister from getting pancaked by the metal fragments sometimes took priority. The old ship had its share of bumps and short turns but as far as Bryan could tell, nothing was damaged bad enough to affect its flight. However, between the jostling and the big holes in the side most of the remaining treasure the _Rosmasus_ carried was lost to the blaze below.

Bryan caught glimpses of Jim's shape up ahead. The distance between him and the portal was closing fast. He could do this. He had to do this.

"Twenty-five seconds!" B.E.N shouted from behind.

Without warning the light of Jim's thruster went out and he began to drop. He sank into a great chasm between two huge metal blocks. Bryan's knuckles were pure white from gripping the helm. He wasn't aware he was barely breathing. He had to get back up. Every millisecond was far too long for Jim to be down there. He had to get back up. He had to.

"_Seventeen seconds_!" B.E.N shrieked.

The Rosmarus passed over the gap where Jim had fallen. It had moved too fast for Bryan to get a good look at what might have happened.

"Seven!"

No! There he was! He made it!

"Six!"

He was getting so close.

"Five!"

Reaching now!

"_Four_!"

He could do it! He was so close!

"_Three_!"

Just a little closer!

"_TWO_!"

Suddenly flames and the din of explosions vanished into a serene blue sky. The ships blasted through the portal, pushed by the energy and fire of the blast. And in the nick of time too. Not only did they escape the explosion but they also passed through the portal before it closed when the map was destroyed. Even the pirates held captive in the hold were cheering.

Bryan was so overjoyed and relieved the next several minutes seemed to blur together. Jim landed on the Legacy. Rachel shot up blasts of Ice that went off like fireworks. He pulled the ship close to the Legacy and brought it to a stop the best he could. Everything was going to be all right. He let himself collapse on the deck. He could hear the voices of the captain, the doctor and Jim but he wasn't really listening. Bryan wasn't sure what to call the feelings he had. At the time, the urgency of the crisis kept him from feeling genuinely afraid. But now he wasn't sure if he could stand up again. He was glad to be out of it. But it was also the first time he'd had such a life-or-death experience before. He'd take legions of heart-hungry Heartless any day.

The captain called over to them if they were ok. Rachel replied that they were. Out of the corner of his eye Bryan saw her attention go to something shining on the deck. A coin was glowing like a little star. Rachel reached for it and examined it. Bryan got a closer look too. One of the doubloons had turned into a key chain. On one side it had a crown and on the other a heart. Rachel clipped it on and they both had to shield their eyes. Much like the Gilded Entwiner this Keyblade was also made entirely of gold and treasure.

The teeth were three large violet gems with wicked points. The shaft was made of teardrop shaped pieces of silver connected with different color jewels. The teardrop design was hollow and a long string of pearls had been woven through the holes. The string hung loosely and clattered musically when it moved. The handle was made of silver and gold with tiny gems inlaid into the metal. On top of the handle, where handle met shaft was a crown.

"Even if we hadn't agreed the next key chain would be yours, I'd let ya have this one anyway. If there was anything that was obviously meant for you."

Rachel didn't say anything; she just stared at the blade in awe of its gilded beauty.

"But what caused it to appear?" She asked, breathless.

A sound coming from below the Legacy answered the question. The hatch had opened and Silver flew away on the last longboat. He was laughing with joy. But not triumphant, 'ha ha I got away' joy. This was a glad laugh from the heart. Bryan was certain of it. Silver and Jim must have reconciled and Jim did the right thing and let a good man go free. Whatever had just happened had enough power to beget a key chain.

"_See the round yellow moon, that's a pirates doubloon, and the sun's a fiery gem_." Rachel sang quietly and thoughtfully.

"What?"

"The song is called Treasure In You. I think that's what I'll call this Key Blade. It's riches will serve as a reminder that the real treasure is the love you keep in your heart."


	54. TreasurePlanet: The Ship Is Ours

The spaceport of Montressor was the most spectacular thing the key bearers had seen yet. The endless streets teamed with the most eclectic bunch of people and creatures imaginable. Ships of all kinds were docked all over. Some were like the legacy, meant for long voyages. Others had large hulls for carrying cargo or passengers. Some looked like interstellar barges. Others still were smaller, more streamline like Captain Flint's ship, designed for speedy travel.

They had already said goodbye to Jim and the others. The captain had a report to make upon arriving and there was the matter of the captured pirates. Rachel assured Jim they had a way of getting back home quickly and their mentor would know how to heal her legs. He didn't want them to leave. They had been a part of the biggest adventure of his life. They should be around to tell the story of a legend found. But they had places to be. Although they promised they would be back.

Bryan helped his sister sit comfortably on the deck of the _Rosmarus_. They had docked the ship on one of the far docks with little foot traffic. No sense getting people excited to learn they had brought back the ship of the pirate of bedtime legend.

"Think we can keep this?" Rachel asked, sitting on the rail, her legs dangling off the side.

"I think the locals will want it as a museum piece or something."

"Only if they know it's here and what it is."

"What would we do with a pirate ship?"

"Oh come on! Is not being the coolest thing ever reason enough? Maybe it can be rigged to travel between worlds! Master Yen Sid told us there were vessels that can go between worlds and the only reason we travel with Hermes is because he didn't have one. This could be ours."

Rachel could see her brothers' gears turning and knew she'd won him over to the idea. They called for Hermes. In two shakes of a lamb's tail they saw a sparkling blue light dance across the sky.

"Hey, kids. Find what you were lookin' for this time?"

"This time we did." Rachel said. "And we managed to get this ship too. It's an old pirate ship. The guy who owned it has been dead for more than a century so we figured he wouldn't miss it."

"On that note," Bryan said to Hermes. "You wouldn't be offended if we said we'd like to try and make this thing fly between worlds would you?"

"Ah nah," Hermes said, brushing off the question. "It's been an honor showing you kids how big the worlds really are. You kids got a big mission. I'm glad to be a part of it. In fact, I think I can do exactly what you want."

Before the key bearers could even ask what he meant Hermes flew back, intertwined his fingers and cracked his knuckles. He flew to the end of the bow, rolled his staff between his palms then rapped it hard on the old wood. Blessed with the Olympian power of the gods the ship instantly began to change.

In one great wave stemming from the bow the wood began to repair itself and turn white, like marble. Only it wasn't actually marble, it only looked like it. The red paint on the side vanished. The rusty portholes turned a shiny polished copper. The glass repaired itself. The strange metal claws on the side of the ship folded back across the stern to become decorative side pieces. Like the portholes they gained a new shine. The railings changed completely. Instead of being a solid piece of wood that wrapped around the entire ship, the railing split apart. Spaced pieces of wood held the top rail together like that of a porch. Only the posts holding up the rail looked like small carved columns. Instead of two masts only one was rebuilt with a crow's nest. The sails repaired themselves and turned pure white and rippled like fine linen. The huge holes in the side had filled in completely.

Rachel and Bryan gaped at the transformation. Everything was fresh and new. It was all white with gold and copper metal workings. The railing was a deep powder blue. The sails also had blue designs on the edges. Hermes had taken the liberty to give the design an Olympian touch.

"Niiiiiiice." Bryan said looking around. He stomped on the deck to confirm it was in fact wood and not stone as it appeared.

"Now it can fly between worlds. And you haven't seen below deck yet."

"What did you do below deck?" Rachel asked.

"Go downstairs and see."

"I can't right now."

"Why not?"

"You haven't noticed she hasn't moved from that spot since you got here?" Bryan said.

Then Hermes got the scoop on what had happened during the fight.

"Dang girl that is so not cool. But you have no need to worry!"

"I wasn't. Between my own healing spell and going back to the tower with Master Yen Sid's magic-."

"No no no. No need to go that far. Allow me."

Hermes tapped Rachel's knees with his staff. A bright light pulsed from the touch. Rachel gasped sharply but not in pain or surprise, more like amazement.

"That is incredible!" Rachel rubbed her shins and couldn't feel so much as a bruise. She lifted her pants leg to look at the skin. Not the slightest trace of a scab or scar either. "How did you do that?"

"I may be the messenger of the gods but that doesn't mean I don't have hidden depths."

"Hermes this is awesome." Bryan said. "Seriously, how can we even thank you for this?"

"You kids can thank me by becoming the greatest heroes of all the worlds and kick the darkness hard in the butt. Although stockpiling neat gifts from other places wouldn't be bad either."

"You got it!" Rachel said.

"Hey, when do we get to visit your world?" Bryan asked.

"I'll set up an appointment for you on Mount Olympus as soon as your adventure is over."

"It's a date then!" Rachel said.

"Hey wait!" Hermes said. "Before you go, you need to give this boat a new name."

"Agreed." Rachel said. "_Rosmarus_ is a horrible name."

"One more tap and I can have the name engraved on the back."

"And I don't suppose you have any idea what you might want to call it, would you? And it better not be anything weird."

"I'll think of something." Rachel promised.

For the next few minutes Hermes helped to throw around suggestions for what their new ship might be christened. Bryan never saw the importance of giving things eloquent names so his contribution was minimal. Best he came up with was what he wouldn't want to call it. Eventually they worked their way to _The Sky King_ since in this world ships sailed in the sky and that's where it would travel for the rest of its days. Hermes gave the golden plaque on the stern another tap and the words wrote themselves out in a very fancy script.

Hermes gave the ship its first nudge into the realm between and the key bearers were sent off on their first solo journey.


	55. First Ride Solo

"Hey! What's going on!"

Bryan pulled the ship to a relative stop. This didn't look right. There was supposed a world down below.

"This is where we should be." Bryan said. "This should be the Big Top."

"No, this is deep space. Oh if you got us lost already!"

"I did not get us lost!"

"You'd better not! We can't be calling on Hermes to bail us out when we haven't even been on our own for ten minutes. Here! Let me try."

"I can do it!"

"Move!" Rachel pushed her way in front of the helm.

Bryan did a fair bit of pushing back but eventually gave up the helm. Rachel closed her eyes, concentrating on where she wanted to go. The ship began moving again. She turned the wheel.

"Do you even know where you're going?"

"Of course I do. If it works, I vote that I'm the official captain."

"It doesn't work that way. This is OUR ship."

Rachel directed the King through the sky. In about ten minutes a spec of color appeared in the dark sky. The spec became larger and brighter and even from a distance the features of Neverland could be seen.

"That proves it. From now on, I drive."

"That doesn't prove anything! It was my first try. You just got lucky. Let me try again."

"I want to land first, check to see if Peter and Tink are back."

So that's what they did. Bryan went to Hangman's Tree to see the Lost Boys. Rachel went to Pixie Hollow. The news was the same. Lost boys, Indians and fairies alike had made frequent searches but all had turned up empty. No sightings. No clues. No nothing. Heartless were still a pain but their numbers were significantly less and the stronger ones had vanished.

The key bearers went on another search across the island alone. The ability to fly made searching all the more easy. They spiraled down the mountain, zigzagged through the forests and swept across the plains. But even with refreshed eyes they couldn't find anything that would give them a clue. Everything looked the same. So unless the key was on an itsy bitsy tree knot or crevasse in a boulder that opened up some kind of magic portal or something there was nothing that was big enough to hide an entire pirate ship.

They found a steep cliff face with a tiny beach at the bottom. They rested for a moment then spent about an hour looking over the entire thing for some kind of secret entrance. Maybe there was a stone lever or a magic word that made the rocks open up to reveal a cavern behind it.

Sadly, if the rocky wall had any secrets it guarded them well. The keyblade wielders went back to the tiny beach. Bryan picked up every stone he found larger than a bean and threw it across the water with all his frustrated strength. Rachel was making a pile of shells. It wasn't a very big pile. It wasn't a very big beach.

"This is stupid! We're supposed to be better than this!" Bryan vented his frustration. "Three missing friends! Two Keyholes an-!"

"And a partridge in a pear tree."

"That is _not_ funny."

"I thought it was. Don't you think I'm grinding my teeth over this too? I can't count how many times we've combed this island or The Big Top _**or**_ the Great Forest. All this nothing is agreeably stupid."

Bryan grumbled a bit to himself and still tried to send poor pebbles into orbit. Rachel sat on her knees next to her shells, brushing off sand to see their patterns. She held up a scallop shell to the sun. The light shone through the pale shell, bringing into sharp focus the dark brown pattern within it. As she did, Rachel got the blank-faced, glassy-eyed look she usually got when an idea was forming. Rachel turned her gaze to her brother's belt where his bejeweled shell dangled.

"Bryan," Rachel said slowly. The idea seemed like a long shot but it was better than nothing.

"What."

"I think I've got an idea."

Bryan turned back to her. "And that would be?"

"We've checked out every inch of this island except the ocean. What if there's some kind of underwater cavern or something? Something that's only accessible by water? I mean, pixie dust shrunk us and made us fly. We just came back from a universe with animal-people and aliens that sail through space. As we keep telling ourselves, nothing is too weird or impossible."

Bryan couldn't exactly disagree with her reasoning. "So you think the answer might be underwater."

"Worth a try. All we really have to do is avoid Mermaid Lagoon until absolutely necessary."

"Agreed."

* * *

So they left their gear on the beach and jumped in. As per the magic of the shells they took on their aquatic forms. They split up and started searching. Every large stone was investigated or turned over. Even sticks stuck in the sand were tugged at just in case they were a strangely disguised lever.

Rachel explored a reef not far away from the shore. Maybe there was an unnatural coral or something in the rocks. Although she found it increasingly difficult to stay focused. She'd heard stories of travelers and their tales of the ocean. Of its vastness and mystery, power and beauty. Especially its beauty. The way the light danced through the clear water onto the pale sand. Fish of all shapes and all imaginable colors darted around her. Corals glistened like jewels in the bright sunlight. Beady-eyed creatures peaked out of then retreated back into their hiding places. Rachel closely observed a pure white slug with bright blue and purple markings with feathery appendages on its back. She wondered what it could be and what made it look like a painted China plate. She wanted to touch the feathers on its back, wondering if it was as soft as it looked. Then again, with her luck the thing would be poisonous.

The longer she searched the more she felt at home in the water. It was fun to be in the ocean. The water was warm and comfortable. The ocean had its own landscapes, each as strange and incredible as the last. She shuffled her fingers through the sand, trying to see what she could find. A flounder sped across the sand, startled from its hiding place. A goby was not at all thrilled to have sand blown into its perfect den entrance. She found shells. Starfish. Hermit crabs. And so many other things she didn't know the name of but was determined to learn. As she searched, she felt suddenly compelled to sing. It felt like the perfect place to do so. Everything was so magical.

" _The sunshine looks different from here. It lights up the waves and if the water is clear, _

_All of the sand at the bottom of the sea, sparkles like diamonds, its magic to me. _

_It lights up my world and there's nothing to fear if the water is clear_

_A rainbow looks different from here. It reflects all its colors and if the water is clear,_

_Dazzling purples. Electric blues. Oranges and yellows keep changing their hues._

_I play with the colors as each one appears if the water is clear_

_The waves that wash on the shore will bring you part of my ocean floor. _

_A full moon looks different from here. Tonight I can see it cuz the water is clear!_

_It casts lovely shadows, I dance in the light! I can see all of my world tonight!_

_It's all such a wonderful atmosphere cuz the water is clear! The water is clear!_

_The water is clear!"_

A bright sparkle of light caught her attention. A clue perhaps? No. Just as good though. A sand dollar rose in the sand and glowed. It spun gently in the water for a moment then fell back into the sand, smaller and with a metallic sheen. A keychain? Sweet. What would this one look like? Upon closer inspection the sand dollar also had a cluster of tiny pearls at the top. No time to waste! Rachel clipped on the sand dollar.

The Keyblade was remarkable. The teeth of the blade wasn't made of points like the Keyblades she'd seen so far. The teeth were in fact the tail of a dolphin. The top of the Keyblade was a large golden jeweled star. The shaft was a twist of water, or at least it looked like water. But frozen in mid-spray and made of crystal. Wrapped around that were five black lines, equidistant to each other and twisted like a ribbon. The handle was gold. The wrapping around it was braid of teal metal with green pieces like kelp intertwined around it. At the base, the seaweed was tied into a bow. The top of the handle was a large pink scallop shell with a cluster of pearls at its base.

Rachel smiled brightly and swung the new blade around. It was long range like Moonlit Majesty and moved remarkably easily through the water. She hoped it would be so easy to move in air as it did in water. But what had made it? As cute as the thought was that a lonely sand dollar dreamed of great things and finally saw its chance it was unlikely that is what happened. Rachel traced her fingers over the five black lines that entwined around the crystal water spout. What was so special about five black lines? So far the traits of every Keyblade made sense with either its name or where it came from. The Bass Blade was black and white like piano keys and its teeth were musical notes. Moonlit Majesty was a magical Keyblade so it looked magical. But those lines…what were they supposed to be?

Suddenly Rachel looked around her. She'd heard something. Her first thought was Heartless but it didn't take more than a second to realize the sound was wrong. She heard it again. Was that a voice? She didn't see anyone. No, she was hearing the voice inside her head. But as far as she could tell she wasn't thinking anything. Still she listened and it spoke again

_Ocean Song. My name is Ocean Song._

Rachel smiled. The Keyblade had just told her its name. And now the black lines made sense. Musical notes were laid out on chart of five lines. Curious,

"_The sunshine looks different from here…_"

Rainbow colored musical notes moved down the lines of the blade from the top to the handle, matching the notes of the words she had just sung. They only lasted a few seconds then vanished. Rachel finished her search of the reef then went to find her brother to show off her new Keyblade.


	56. Too Late

"Not a bad idea. I'm not thrilled it didn't work."

Rachel and Bryan went back to their ship the next morning after their search, ready to go to the next destination. Rachel took to the helm again. Only this time she too only found her way into empty space.

"It's not just me now is it! Ha!" Bryan goaded.

"I did exactly what I did when I sought out Neverland only I thought about The Big Top! This should be working."

"Your captain privileges have been revoked."

"That's debatable."

"My turn." Bryan shuffled his way to the helm.

Bryan turned the ship. As they flew, he voiced aloud how they would land in The Great Forest with a flying ex-pirate ship. Only there was nothing but empty space when they arrived. The finding dropped a heavy sense of dread over the siblings. How could both of them on separate occasions try to get to the same familiar place and still come up with nothing? They couldn't just be terrible navigators. There had to be something else. But none of the explanations they could come up with left them with warm feelings. They tried going back and forth to the places they knew how to get to for some time, taking turns at the helm but the result was always the same. Rachel felt a strange shiver of dread work its way down her back several times. She tried not to think of the more probable reasons why they couldn't find their friends.

"We need to get to the tower."

* * *

They dropped anchor on the lawn outside the tower and flew up to the first open window they found as fast as they could. From there they half flew half sprinted to Master Yen Sid's study. Bryan knocked hard on the door then went in before waiting for a reply. Yen Sid was in his chair, head turned down and his eyes closed. His stoic body language and grim expression did not welcome any good feelings.

Before they could say anything he summoned two chairs and instructed them to sit. Again, it wasn't a good sign.

"No doubt you are aware that something is amiss in the worlds." He said gravely.

"Master," Rachel tried to keep her voice from wavering. "What happened to The Big Top and The Great Forest?"

The old wizard took a long slow breath through his nose and hesitated before answering. An uncomfortable prickle began to spread from the pit of Rachel's stomach to the rest of her body every second spent waiting for him to speak.

"I believe you already know. I am certain you felt it when it happened."

If Rachel hadn't already been sitting, no doubt she would have collapsed in her chair. Everything trembled and it felt as though her very bones were made of pudding. Both she and Bryan knew what their mentor was saying but neither of them would say it out loud. Saying it aloud would only confirm the horrible truth. Once the truth was confirmed there was no going back.

"I'm sure you felt it, for I did as well. Briefly, mind you but the feeling was distinct. It might have felt like-."

"Like all the air had been sucked away by a dark presence."

"Like being hit on the inside with a heavy dark feeling."

"You felt it both times then."

Rachel couldn't swallow. Her throat had tensed painfully. She couldn't see clearly. Her eyes had clouded with tears but she didn't feel them. What she had felt on Treasure Planet wasn't just the darkness brought on by the pirates. What she would have traded to have made that the truth instead of what had really happened. So that's what it felt like when a world you loved lost its heart. Like someone twisted a knife in your own.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see her brother's hands shaking. The muscles in his neck kept tensing. As far as Rachel knew, he never cried in his life unless he was terribly hurt. But right now, like his sister, was trying hard not to.

_We failed them. _

The words kept echoing in her mind but she couldn't try to say the words without feeling like she would throw up. The 'what ifs' and 'if onlys' began their merciless flood shortly after. They should have searched longer. They should have searched harder. They should have looked more often.

She didn't feel the first tear fall.

"It's our fault…isn't it." Bryan was the first to say but he didn't say it like a question.

"As tragic as the events are, the truth is that it is merely a case of poor timing." Master Yen Sid said. "If a fledging falls from its nest and dies of cold in the night, you cannot blame yourself when you find its lifeless form. You would have had no way to know the event was going to happen, let alone when. Being too late does not mean you allowed the fledgling to die or that you wouldn't have done what you could to save it had you known. It does not reflect the kind of person you are. Although, I know that knowledge does not change your feelings." The old wizard looked between them sadly. Judging by what she saw in his face, he too was grieving, not just from the tragedy of a lost world but all he had to offer his students were words.

Every time Rachel blinked at least one tear fell to her hands. But she never made a sound. "What happened to them?" Rachel managed to ask. The faces of all the hearts she'd grown to love flashed in front of her mind.

Master Yen Sid signed deeply. He knew one of them was going to ask that question.

"Several things can occur to an individual when a world is lost. In many cases, when a world loses its heart, the world draws in the hearts that dwelled upon it, keeping them safe. In the event the heart is restored, the hearts of the people are also restored. It is like waking up. Perhaps disoriented and confused but otherwise intact with little to no memory of what had happened. There are other times when the world tries to send its occupants away in order to keep them safe. There is no way to predict where they will end up. Sometimes they are sent to other worlds. Many make it to a place called Traverse Town. It is a place that exists in the realm between realms. It is a refuge world, only existing when there is need of it." Master Yen Sid signed again. "And as much as I do not wish to cause you alarm, there is a remote chance if a heart is not strong enough, it may not survive at all."

"But that won't happen to them." Bryan said quickly, almost defiantly, as though the more opposition he presented to the idea of his friends being lost for good the less likely it was. "Dumbo and Bambi were strong. That couldn't have happened to them."

"I am sure you're feelings are correct. But I advise you both to prepare yourselves all the same." Yen Sid looked between them again, perhaps unsure of what to say next. He could sense the sadness in their hearts and the responsibility they felt toward the terrible truth. "You should not blame yourselves. I know you tried. You never gave up. And I will understand if you feel the desire to place some of the blame on me for I was unable to provide you with the answer to locate Keyholes. For now, I wish you both to go. Your hearts are heavy and I would not expect to ask anything of you in such a state. Allow yourselves to grieve in any way you see fit. Return here tomorrow morning."


	57. Solution

Rachel had cried herself to sleep that night. Tatiana tried to snuggle but Rachel pushed her away, then felt terrible for doing so and drew her close. Cats may not be the most sensitive animals to their masters' feelings, but Tatiana did not try to get way after being held for a long period of time. Bryan grieved in his own way. Silent, but his heart breaking all the same. He was the one who drew the dividing curtain early that night. Perhaps so that the tears couldn't be seen.

They each tried different methods of taking their minds off the tragic news. But nothing worked. A tranquil stroll through the hall of gardens only left a lot of quiet time for the guilt to start shouting. They didn't want to write in their journals. They still had to input the rest of The Great Forest, Treasure Planet and their new ship but the focus was not there. Appetite had vanished. Their happy thoughts were veiled so they couldn't even fly.

The following morning they went down to breakfast together. Rachel cradled her kitten close the whole time. The warm weight of something soft and loveable felt good in her arms. Even after having barely a nibble the previous afternoon neither brother or sister could manage to eat more than a few bites of anything without feeling their gag reflux would give up its strength.

"This is stupid!" Bryan suddenly shouted.

Rachel jumped, startled when her brother hit the table as hard as he could. Bryan rarely got angry or terribly riled. Even when he was upset he kept his emotions in check and dealt with them internally. Even pent up feelings rarely made their way out in such an aggressive manner.

Tatiana jumped too, but only because she thought she'd been discovered as a sausage thief.

"We were going back! That time could have been the time we found the Keyholes! How could we not have suspected something was wrong?! Since when does the presence of darkness feel like that! We've been out in the worlds for a month now and have only been to four places! We should be better than this! We are better than this! We should have known! We should have been able to do something! We should have-!"

"I KNOW!"

Rachel finally shouted back. She pushed her chair back so quickly Tatiana ran off, terrified.

"Don't you think I'm scared too! We've always done everything together and it looks like we fail as a team too! Don't you think I've been kicking myself over this? We screwed up but I am not _**giving**_ up!"

Bryan's gaze hardened at her words. "You think I was going to give up?" He said darkly.

"I never said that. But we do need to change our plan."

"What do you mean." He snapped.

"Master said a world's heart can be restored. Then that's what we need to do. All we've been doing is putting out fires. We need to get ahead of the blaze in order to make this all end and set things right."

The tension began to diffuse. Each of them knew they were not truly angry at the other. They just needed someone to yell at.

* * *

The siblings could see a difference in Master Yen Sid's mood when he saw them. He must have been able to sense their newfound resolve. He motioned for them to stand before him. As usual, he sat behind his desk in his high-backed chair.

"I know a single afternoon is not a long time to grieve for your lost friends. But as you are aware, there is still much work to be done and no time to waste.

No doubt you are feeling a strong resolve to continue your quest so that you might return your friends safely to their homes. But now I must set you on a different path. Please let me explain before commenting.

Worlds are in danger for falling into darkness all around. Even the ones that have already lost their hearts are subject to a different sort of torment. I send you now to serve as the aid to the heartless worlds.

When a world is swallowed by darkness, the consciousness, or the soul of the world remains even though the heart has been stolen. That is the essence that draws in all the hearts that live upon it or casts them away in an attempt to save them. The world then enters a trance, or dream like state deep within the space between spaces. Or to be more accurately described…the place between asleep and awake. A heartless world may remain in this state indefinitely if its heart is not retrieved. A world does this as a last resort to save itself and all who dwell upon it. A world is the harbor for many hearts so it is no surprise that on some level it has its own consciousness. The heartless world plunges deep into the depths of slumber to protect its people and keeps their lights alive in its embrace and by living their memories."

Master Yen Sid allowed his students time to process the knowledge he had just bestowed upon them.

"But although a sleeping world may no longer possess its heart, that does not mean it is safe from other forms of darkness. Much like how Heartless plague the worlds and their peoples for their hearts, a dreaming world is plagued by nightmares. If the dark nightmares within it become too great, the world may be weakened. If the darkness on the outside finds a sleeping in its weakened state, it may be destroyed for all eternity with no hope to ever be restored. Rest assured, only a very few times in all of known recorded history has this occurred."

He paused again.

"There is hope for the slumbering worlds. While they are without a heart and not a part of the physical realm, it is still possible to reach them and protect them. To reduce the nightmares and defend it from within. Just like it would have with a heart, a sleeping world will also have a Keyhole. Sealing this Keyhole will provide protection from darkness that may dwell outside it. It will also aid the world when it regains its heart. As it is possible, although rare, a sleeping world may not wake up after its heart is returned. Also, a sleeping world may be tormented by nightmares that may weaken it still, but it will never be able to be destroyed if its Keyhole has been sealed. Imagine an old hollow tree. While it may become weak and feeble, no wind will ever come to blow it down.

"I wish this to be your new task… to dive within the realm of dreams and defend the heartless worlds."

Once again he allowed his students a moment to process what it was he wanted of them.

"Will we find Dumbo and Bambi's world if we do?" Rachel asked after a moment.

"It is possible." Yen Sid replied. "However, although they may look and act like your friends you must remember; in a sleeping world they are only characters in a dream. They will be figments of what the world remembers of its occupants. If you should meet your friends, they will not remember you for they are a dream. They may experience de ja vu or feel you to be trustworthy without knowing why. Should your task prove successful, your friends back in the real world will have no memory of what transpired when their world was dreaming. It will be like reading a story that has two endings."

"So there would be no way to know what happened to our friends even if we were to find them in the dream world." Bryan said. "Dumbo or Bambi in the dream world will just be the world remembering them."

"I'm afraid not." Yen Sid shook his head. "You may experience the exact same events as you did in the real world. Or the story may be different. No one knows what it is that directs a dream. And as you might suspect, your presence will alter the course as well." The old wizard could tell neither of them felt reassured about the safety of their friends but did not question his instruction to walk a different path.

"What are the nightmares you said we would face?" Rachel asked.

"Heartless do not exist in a sleeping world. Instead," Yen Sid waved his hand over his desk. Within a pillar of light a strange creature appeared. It looked like a strange sort of snake with back legs. "Sleeping worlds are tormented by creatures known as Dream Eaters. This is known as a Nightmare, they terrorize happy dreams. And this," Another pillar of light appeared with another snake-ish creature inside. This one had much brighter colors and its posture was more carefree. "Is known as a Spirit. They have the power to defeat the Nightmares. My knowledge of Dream Eaters is limited beyond that."

All three were silent for a moment. Then Rachel called Ocean Song to her hand then switched it with Treasure In You.

"I've been waiting to give these a try." She said with an air of accepting a challenge.

Master Yen Sid shook his head.

"I am not quite sure how much of the tangible world can cross over into the dream world. You may wear different clothes. You may possess Keyblades you never owned. Or perhaps your Keyblade will merely return to its original state. What sort of treasures you may acquire in the dream world is largely a mystery. An even greater mystery is whether or not they can come back to this world."

Rachel looked disappointed that the testing of a new Keyblades would have to wait.

"So how do we get within a sleeping world? It's a challenge enough as it is to get to real worlds. How are we going to find heartless ones?" Bryan asked.

"Come with me."

Master Yen Sid stood up and left the study. Rachel and Bryan followed him down the stairs. They stopped in a corridor the key bearers didn't recognize. The sorcerer waved his hand across the wall. Like paint dripping down a canvas a door appeared in front of them. It opened for them without being touched and Yen Sid walked through it. The room was circular and made of pale gray stone. There were no windows but the room was well lit even though there were no candles or magic lights either. In the center of the room was a golden music stand. On the stand sat a huge dark teal book. The book looked in great condition but it gave off a feeling of being older than it looked. Much older.

_Fantasia_ was written across the front in gold letters.

"Master, what is this?" Rachel asked. "And why do you look so sad?"

Yen Sid brushed his fingertips gingerly across the gold lettering. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"A very long time ago, when I was only a young man and but a sorcerer's apprentice myself, I stumbled upon the most incredible world. This was a world of the most spectacular creatures. All around, in the air, in the earth, in the water was music. Beautiful music. I would walk those hills and valleys completely enchanted. But tragedy befell that world. The worlds were brought into disharmony and were plagued by darkness.

Back then there were many Keyblade Masters and Weilders and the problem was taken care of quickly. But not before two worlds were swallowed by darkness. For reasons to this day I know not, the world of Fantasia never regained its heart. Being young and passionate for the world I had grown to love I used my masters magic to create a refuge for the sleeping world. As hard as I have tried to look back and understand, I am not sure how I did it. All I knew was I couldn't let that wonderful place of such beauty fall into the depths of shadow. Perhaps the world heard my pleas. Perhaps it was afraid of being alone in the darkness so it came to me. The world took shelter within this book and has been there ever since."

Yen Sid opened the cover with the tenderness of setting a sparrow's wing and flipped through the pages. The title of the score was written in a script neither Rachel or Bryan recognized. Next to the title was the image of a centaur couple with little cherubs flying around them. He touched the page. The lines of the score lit up for a moment then each note glowed as the music began to play. Each note felt alive. It made their ears hurt when Yen Sid touched the page again to make the music stop. It was such a wonderful melody it felt as though a lifeline had been severed.

"That's what the world sounds like?" Bryan said in awe. He'd been absentmindedly tapping out what a percussion rhythm might have been if the score had one.

"It is what one portion of the world sounds like. Every place has its own song. I believe that every world does but somehow, only in this world are you able to hear it."

"So how are we supposed to get inside a sleeping world?" Rachel asked.

"I believe that while you are within a state of sleep I can create a pathway that will guide your dreaming consciousness and connect it with that of this sleeping world. All dream worlds are connected. This one will serve as the gate to all the others."

"What about the other worlds out there?" Bryan asked. "We can't just leave them undefended! One of us can stay awake to protect and be the line of defense for them."

Yen Sid shook his head. For some reason his atmosphere of gloom lifted some. "I appreciate your concern and commend it. However, the worlds will not be left without protection." He chuckled. "You will have to forgive me for now telling you sooner, for I have only recently learned the truth in its entirety myself."

"Tell us what?" Rachel asked.

"For a time there has been another Keyblade wielder out among the stars. That is why Merlin left. He was requested by an old friend to aid him in the art of magic. And you need not worry. You will cross paths one day; of this you can be assured. But now is not that time.

For now, I want you both to spend a day or two preparing. I will also be using the time to prepare the proper spell."


	58. Into Slumber

Three days after Master Yen Sid discussed the sleeping worlds with his students did he feel completely confident the spells he had chosen would do exactly what he required. Being the first time Master Yen Sid had cast a spell of such nature he was more than willing to take unnecessary precautions if it meant keeping his students safe. Rachel and Bryan had been sent to the training yards and the gardens to prepare themselves physically and mentally for being put under an enchanted sleep. Neither said very much to the other in those days. Both were still feeling the lingering guilt of not finding the Keyholes to The Big Top or The Great Forest sooner. But they couldn't blame each other for what happened because the path they walked was the same.

Rachel spent a lot of time in the gardens, especially ones with the sound of running water. She found the singing of a stream or waterfall soothing. Tatiana didn't seem to mind being taken everywhere even if it just mean for comfort cuddling. When not in the training ground Bryan stayed mostly to his room, sitting at the window tapping out rhythms only he could hear to help calm the tension of their upcoming quest and distract from the feelings of guilt. For the first time Bryan did his journal writings because he felt he needed to get thoughts out of his head not because Master Yen Sid instructed him to keep notes.

But the moment had to come where they could no longer delay. Rachel and Bryan would lie on their own beds so they would be comfortable. Master Yen Sid began to cast his first spells. Rachel, much to her dislike, had to disable the magical voice that recited the constellation names. The curtains of their beds would remain drawn back.

"Remember, there is no way to know how much time will pass in a dream state. As I am sure you have felt, as most people do, a dream that may last only a few minutes could feel like hours. You may only be in this trance for a few hours but have visited a dozen worlds. Reversely, the journey to only two or three worlds may take a few days. You may in fact remain under the spell and traversing the dream world for many days. That is why I am placing a stasis spell around you. With it you will be able to go without food or water for some time."

"So we could be under for…days?" Bryan asked, unsure. The thought of being under a magical sleep for several days or longer was a bit unsettling.

"I cannot say." Yen Sid answered honestly.

"This isn't going to hurt is it?" Rachel asked.

Yen Sid chuckled. "The process may feel strange but there should be no pain."

"And how are we supposed to get out?"

"I will be monitoring you daily." The old wizard assured them. "If I see any indication that anything is amiss I will use my magic to draw you out of the trance. Same will be true if I sense that you are ready to end spell. Perhaps you may even be able to find your own path back to the world of awakeness."

Neither Rachel or Bryan had any idea how exactly he would be able to tell that but they didn't say anything. Both key bearers laid back and got comfortable on their beds. Master Yen Sid stood between the beds. When they were both ready he began casting his spell.

"I have opened the path to the world of Fantasia's consciousness. As you drift into slumber I will guide you to it. Afterward, you will be on your own. Reach for each other's hearts and you should both end up in the same place. Pathways should appear for you whenever you desire to use them. Where they will lead and how long it will take I do not believe there is any way of knowing.

"Seal the Keyholes. Keep the worlds protected from within. With the Keyholes locked they will be forever shielded from the darkness that may try to drag them into oblivion. And nothing will interfere with the world waking up when its heart it restored.

"Keep the worlds safe. Keep your hearts safe. Keep each other safe. I know the courage and the strength lie within you both. I wish you luck on your quest and pray for your safe return home. For now,

…sleep."

**END OF ACT I of Bound By Light**

**The adventures of key bearers, Rachel and Bryan will continue in**

**Bound By Light: The Sleeping Worlds**


	59. Ending Appendix

I figured I'd best insert a few 'by the ways' before I closed Act I.

The song sung by Rachel in Chapter 7, A Mermaids Wrath is the first verse of "Treasure In You" by Bill Conti and Rod Davies. Also the opening song to the 1998 film _The Real Macaw_.

The song also sung by Rachel in Chapter 55 "If The Water Is Clear" was from _National Geographics Really Wild Animals: A Deep Sea Dive_.

As far as I knew the creators of Treasure Planet didn't reveal the name of Flint's pirate ship so the one I gave was just imagination. Well, not really. "Rosmarus", the name I gave it, is part of the scientific name of the walrus, the name of Flint's ship in Stevenson's Treasure Island.

Obviously I hold no claims to the Disney Corporation or any of its films or characters. No do I clam any ownership or affiliation to Square Enix or the Kingdom Hearts series. I am merely a fan of both Disney and Kingdom Hearts with a story of my own to tell.


End file.
